Judy Ostrander’s love for books has been a passion of her’s her entire life.
The advances in technology haven’t deterred her from turning to a book when she gets free time.
“I think e-books are just a new fad,” said Ostrander, the owner of the Paperback Book Exchange at 1811 S. Mission St. in Mt. Pleasant. “Eventually people will get tired of them. I believe books are starting to come back.”
The store is celebrating its 50th year in operation.
At one point, residents had four others to choose from that were scattered around the city. Now as the standalone book carrier, the selection has reached approximately 60,000 books.
“It’s a well-known store to the people of Mt. Pleasant,” she said. “It used to be on the other side of town. Some people remember that, and some people don’t.”
To celebrate, the store’s owner Ostrander is giving away a $50 gift card to Applebee’s through a random drawing. To be eligible, customers must leave their name and phone number in a collection box by the register before the end of the month.
She’s been the owner for six years, after working in the store off and on for eight years before becoming the owner in 2012.
“A lot of my customers stop in when they have a doctor appointment,” she said. “There’s almost always a wait, so they figure ‘Why not read a book?’ in the meantime?”
When a customer brings in books that are in good condition, they can buy a book of their choosing for a reduced price. Without any books to exchange, the customer will have to pay half of the price that is on the cover.
In the store there’s a hidden section where the older books are stored.
If books sit in the back for over a year they are donated to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. The books are also sent to the St. Louis Correctional Facility library at least once a year.
“90 percent of the store is sold at $2 if you just bring in books,” she said. “I don’t sell new books like other bookstores do. It’s really hard to sell new books, so I sell everything else.”