May was a good month for the store as customers begin stocking up for the summer. The May best-seller list (see below) was an eclectic mix with many of the selections resulting from events at the store. One highlight event was the first of the Titles@Table 40 functions –the successor to Books n’Brew. The gathering at Table 40 was a sellout and feedback has been very positive. The “family style” dinner around the harvest tables encouraged interaction and I met some interesting people. The two speakers were very engaging. The next event is on Sunday June 15 with non-fiction authors Diana Beresford-Kroeger and Heather Menzies (see the separate announcement for details). There will be a couple of adjustments in order to finish the event a little earlier-the start time is at 5.30p.m. and the food service will be a little faster. We realise that sometimes someone can’t attend the event even after paying the deposit but if you let the Bookstore know, we may have a waiting list to fall back on so as to fill the vacant spot.
Another June event of note is the Annual Beechwood Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21st. Books on Beechwood will be open later that evening with storytime for kids and a sidewalk sale with great bargains (weather permitting)
Our customer survey is almost completed and I’ll share some results with you next month. We’ve had a good rate of response and we thank you for that. The information and the suggestions that we received will be very useful in guiding us forward. There was no demand for major changes but there were some helpful suggestions.
If you’re looking for summer reading suggestions, you might want to check out the latest New Edinburgh News where all the staff has contributed ideas from books they have read.
From our survey of customers, we’ve realised that we need to revise our e-mailing lists (and also we need to comply with the latest legislation on e-mail-outs). Some customers have asked for monthly e-mail updates. If that interests you, be sure to let us know, confirm that we have your e-mail address on file and give us permission to send you occasional updates.