Getting a library or bookstore job is the ultimate goal for any book nerd. Nothing beats the feeling of walking into a place so thoroughly filled with books and knowing that there’s nothing to stop you from spending hours there, exploring zealously and finding interests in genres and books you would never have considered. In this sense, working in a bookstore is the worst temptation you could experience. The more books you shelf, the more books you want, and neither your budget or the stack of books you’ve yet to read is actually going to stop you from buying a whole bunch of new books. The nice thing though, is that you’re not alone in that.
I get a few customers each day that sigh dramatically during the transaction, declaring that a bookstore this close to their office is a terrible idea as they’ll constantly be tempted to stop by. These types of people are a big part of the reason why a bookstore is the perfect job for a book lover; there’s nothing better than getting to connect with customers that are just as into reading as you are. Every once in a while, you get stuck talking with a customer in the middle of the fiction section about the two books you read last month that you absolutely loved and about how strange it is to see that author still putting out mystery novels for that one series. It’s ridiculously exciting to see someone get as nerdy as you are about what they read.
The other wonderful thing is that your coworkers are just as excited as both you and the customers they’re helping. Books foster a giant and brilliant literary community, and the place I’ve noticed that most is in the backroom where you catch a moment to talk to a coworker about that best-seller you both read last month. It’s a complete change of pace to start the day off with your manager asking everyone on duty to call out what they’re reading this month, and it’s one of the best feelings to get a whole bunch of recommendations based on what you’ve already read. The literary network that’s created between coworkers and customers is irreplaceable and opens up the opportunity to grow the literary community to an even more intense level.
