Kieran:
So Jane, you'll be off to Denmark soon to do your work placement.
Jane:
Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. And I've just started packing up all my books to put in storage.
Kieran:
Well, I hope they don't get spoiled.
Jane:
It's OK. My grandfather works in a bookshop, and he told me how to pack them.
Kieran:
Oh, that's helpful.
Jane:
He says you have to support the spine, otherwise the paper can come away from the cover.
Kieran:
Yeah, that's obvious.
Jane:
He also told me to pack them flat in the box, not on their side. Again, because they can bend, and if you leave them like that for, say, a year, it's quite hard to get them back to their normal shape.
Kieran:
Well, it's pretty clear that ruins them, but a lot of people just can't be bothered to protect their books.
Jane:
He always says it's such a shame that publishers don't use better quality paper.
Kieran:
It's the acid in the paper that causes the problem, isn't it?
Jane:
Yeah, that's why old books go yellow. You know, some of the books my grandfather's given me are like... that already.
Jane:
I should dump them really if they're going to deteriorate further, but I'd feel bad.
Jane:
They'll always remind me of him. He's quite a collector, you know.
Kieran:
Well, if they're important to you.
Jane:
Yeah, I'd regret just throwing them away.
Kieran:
You know, maybe it's because I was taught to treasure books, but I hate seeing students force open the pages of paperbacks.
Kieran:
They press so hard they end up breaking the spine.
Jane:
I know. But unfortunately, paperbacks aren't designed to last a long time, and people know that.
Jane:
Hardbacks aren't quite as weak.
Kieran:
Yeah, they're different, I suppose.
Kieran:
But I still don't think people value hardbacks like they used to.
Jane:
Well, they aren't decorative, are they, like other objects?
Jane:
Plus, nowadays, people don't keep them out on shelves as much as they used to.
Kieran:
That's such a pity. When I visit someone, if they have, say, A colourful book on a table. It's the first thing I'm drawn to.
Jane:
I agree. And book covers can be a work of art in themselves. Some are really eye-catching.
Kieran:
I've always been taught to handle books carefully. If you watch someone take a book off a shelf, well, they usually do it wrong.
Jane:
My grandfather says you should put your hand right over the top of the book.
Jane:
Or, if you can't do that, pull the other books on the shelf aside so that you can hold the whole cover.
Kieran:
When did you learn all this?
Jane:
He watched me pull a heavy book off the shelf when I was small, and it fell on the floor and broke apart.
Jane:
I can still remember it.
Kieran:
You know what I really like?
Kieran:
The smell of new books.
Kieran:
My parents used to laugh at me when I was a kid because I loved putting books up to my nose, almost as much as reading them.
Jane:
New books aren't cheap, though, are they?
Kieran:
I guess we're lucky we can buy them.
Jane:
My grandfather stocks second-hand books as well as new ones, and they don't smell quite as good.
Kieran:
I'd love to have a bookshop like your grandfather. What's it like?
Jane:
Well, it's quite big. It's got two floors and an attic, and he stocks all kinds of books really.
Kieran:
I guess he treasures things like first editions and other rare books.
Jane:
Yeah, you might think he'd keep those in the attic or somewhere.
Kieran:
So they'd be hidden.
Jane:
Yeah, but he likes people to know that he has them.
Jane:
So he puts them out in the shop, but makes sure you need a ladder to get them.
Kieran:
Right, that would prevent any thefts.
Kieran:
Does he stock books for children?
Jane:
He does. He particularly likes to encourage kids to read.
Jane:
He always says that he used to sit under the stairs as a child with a pile of books and read them all.
Kieran:
Is that where he keeps them then?
Jane:
Not exactly. He's got a dedicated area on the ground floor with cushions, so that parents can enter with their toddlers, go there, and spend some time reading to them.
Jane:
And then there's a place for pushchairs by the front door. And a cafe, if anyone needs refreshments.
Kieran:
That's good to know.
Jane:
As I said, it's a big shop. And there's a storage area out the back as well.
Kieran:
Oh? What does he keep there? Books he wants to throw away.
Jane:
He hardly ever throws anything away. He just leaves unwanted books by the front door for customers to take.
Kieran:
Well, that's very nice.
Jane:
Yeah. And books people or institutions have requested, they all go at the far end.
Jane:
He thinks it's best to keep these out of the main shopping area as they're boxed and new.
Kieran:
Did you get your course books from him?
Jane:
Naturally. He stocks books for a lot of the colleges. He used to keep these books on the first floor.
Jane:
But now there's a new university in my hometown. He's moved them downstairs to attract the students. They're actually part of the coffee shop on low shelves all around it.
Kieran:
Pretty sensual then. You'll have to take me there sometime.