Radcliff KY The Bookstore: Jerry Brown Loves His Community

Getting a chance to talk with someone who overflows with love for his community is hard to come by these days but if one had to chance upon a person - Mr. Jerry Brown of The Bookstore definitely fits the bill. Giving back to the community has always been in Mr. Brown's heart; he started the The Bookstore way back in 1976 and has been in operation ever since. The Bookstore started as a quaint combination of a Hallmark© store,  a gift store, and bookstore. Several decades later it is still standing today mainly as a used bookstore and a venue for gatherings such as book signings. Mr. Brown proudly states that:

"We really know our community because we are adjacent to Fort Knox, we have a lot more military titles, a lot more military history than probably any other store in Kentucky for sure, and we have much more, we have a lot of gift lines, so we're still a combination bookstore and gift store, we have Tiny Beanie Babies, we have music boxes, and plush animals..."

When it comes to the business of having an independent bookstore, the biggest challenge Mr. Brown faces on a daily basis is the fact that he has a hard time getting the word out with regards to the promotions they currently have and rely mostly through word-of-mouth and social media sites to get news out. "We really depend on community involvement so it’s tougher when you can’t do as much advertising and things like that as you'd like to do." But, of course, the good side with having an independent bookstore is that he gets to know just about everybody who comes in. He says,  "that’s the best part of it!"

Mr. Brown says, "Because of my knowledge of books and authors, there’s probably not anything that a customer can ask me about that I won’t have knowledge of. Frequently, somebody will be looking for something obscure, something hard to find, and often I'll either have the book or know of it and be able to get it for them." If there is anyone who needs a few guides or books on anything, make sure to approach Mr. Brown because he confesses that, "... my extensive knowledge of all that, I’m really a great resource of what somebody is looking for."

(not intended to be an endorsement for Cards over Cats, lol)

One of the best perks of The Bookstore is that since it's mostly a used bookstore, prices start from a couple of dollars and nothing much is over five dollars. Most of the books for sale in The Bookstore are available for anyone who wants to bring it home and treasure it. They also have some titles that are first edition and special edition books. The Bookstore carries such an extensive variety of books that anyone who comes in will be in for a surprise when they find "the" book they are looking for. Mr. Brown also says that there are a lot of "romance book" readers and they do well with the title selections the store has.

If there were one thing that Mr. Brown wishes for people to realize when it comes to The Bookstore, he shares that, "I think that because we are a local business, we give a lot more back to the local community than the big chains like the Amazon, the digital stuff. You know the folks when they come to us, when they need a donation or a contribution and so... I’d wish they’d remember that... when they go and spend their money; that we’re local and that we give back to the community."

If you haven’t been to The Bookstore, Mr. Brown invites everyone and says:

"We’re such a wide variety; not only books and gifts... I think we just love our community and just enjoy seeing everybody, it’s something. We’re here because we love it and because we want to be and not because somebody pays us and we have to be."

As always, all of their new books are discounted 10% and their used books are competitively priced so people can save a lot of money when they shop there. Make sure you stop by The Bookstore today before and come home with books and gain a friend.

The Bookstore is located at 300 West Lincoln Trail, Radcliff, KY 40160. Their contact number is 270-351-1801. To get the latest news on The Bookstore, make sure to “LIKE” them on Facebook at The Bookstore.