Browsing Through the Bite-Size Bookstore

             Walking through the town of Bloomsburg you will come across a little store with green awnings called The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore. Anyone passing it would not look twice because who goes to bookstores to buy paperback books anymore? Barely anyone. Little bookstores suffer today because grocery stores and other general stores sell books and also more people buy online books so no one really wants to buy an old fashioned paperback. However, if you step inside the quaint store, you will find books that other places do not carry varying in many genres. The smell of rich coffee brewing on the counter and the smell of books will draw passersby in. The sound of pages turning and happy small talk will make people curious. The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore happens to be the only bookstore around for approximately 30 miles, so why not peek in to see what they have to offer?

Working in a bookstore requires someone who likes books, communicating with other people, and knows a lot about books. Pam Sriharsha fits that description very well. Mrs. Sriharsha with her blonde hair and all brown matching outfit loves to talk about anything and everything. She loves talking to customers and speaks to everyone in a very kind manner. Pam started living in Bloomsburg 28 years ago but only started working at the bookstore last year. Her and her husband both love books and own a room full of them. Before she started working at the bookstore, her and her husband would shop in The Cloak and Dragon Bookstore. Her husband told Pam that she should ask the owner, Sharon, to see if she needed any help. Sharon let her help out at the bookstore and then the two started working together. Sharon was working on getting another degree for her career so she let Pam work there more often and also let her become the co-owner of the store. Pam does the bookstore on the side while she works at a real-estate agency and has had that job for about four years. Mrs. Sriharsha loves the bookstore and welcomes everyone to come in and stop by.

As customers step inside the store, the smell of coffee hits them like a truck-pure deliciousness. Fantasy, romance, fiction, suspense and many more genres of books sit tightly inside bookshelves around the room. Spinning racks with books on it and other miscellaneous objects sit around the room to show off other things than just books.  A huge green counter resides on the side of the store with the drinks and snacks. Coffee pots and tea cups rest alongside little snacks like cookies, chips, and other beverages.The store also carries little paraphernalia around the room customers can buy like jewelry, soaps, shoes, lotions, and candy. The whole interior looks somewhat of a clutter but none the less, it still looks fine. With each turn of the head the walls change colors ranging from green to blue to purple. Little wooden tables sit around the store with wooden chairs so customers can plop down and read used books. An old bench and rocking chair are also there along with couches to make the room feel comfy. In a corner of the store a children’s section awaits with little desks and chairs for the younger ones to enjoy as well. On the way by the food and drinks, a green and purple dragon on the wall holds up a sign that has the menu and everything the store has to consume.

Inside the bookstore

Pam’s day varies on how much business the bookstore gets that day. Saturdays and Mondays tend to get pretty busy but businesses with other books cause the small store to drop in sales. Even if customers come in or not, Pam still does a lot of errands around the bookstore. As soon as Pam opens the doors and flips to the open sign, she becomes a busy bee. Making coffee constantly and restocking the food becomes a daily routine for Pam. Coffee gets bought almost every time a customer comes in so Pam never lets it get low. Roaming around the room checking the books and making sure everything on the shelves looks tidy needs taken care of as often as the other errands. Pam does little things while she waits for customers arrive. Lately, the days at the bookstore have been getting slower. “Lots of businesses have left here,” Pam states. “And bookstores have to be a gift shop; it is the only way to make it.” When a customer comes in, Pam becomes alert and puts on her best smile. 

"Hello lovey, how are you today? Do you need help with anything?" Inquires Pam. 

“Just browsing; I love little stores like this.” replies the customer, looking around at every little thing in the store. 

As the customer browses, Pam goes back to tidying up the place or answering phone calls. A delivery man comes in and drops off some soaps or lotion that she ordered about a week ago and restocks them. More customers comes in and order coffee or snacks so she pours the coffee for them and rings them up. Sometimes, a customer looks around or picks up a book or two, but then leaves empty handed. College students come in and buy books sometimes and get a ten percent discount since they bought from there. However, Pam might get rid of that discount. “Students steal the bookstore's open signs!” Exclaims an annoyed Pam. “I even bought one last Saturday and I made the mistake of not taking it inside that night and the next morning it was ripped off!”  Even though some students steal the signs, a lot of decent students come in and buy things from the bookstore. Students show up at random times during the week to see if a literature book can be rented for a class or just to find a book for pleasure reading.  

 Menu with snacks and beverages on the counter

           As the day goes on, less customers stop by. Occasionally someone wants to buy a book or needs help finding something so Pam assists them in any way possible. Her bubbly personality makes the customer feel comfortable and makes it easier to start small talk. When Pam rings up everything a customer buys, she chitchats with them and always smiles. She tells them to have a good day and then they walk away happily with their purchase. When no customers show up for a long time Pam closes early. Today's market causes not a lot of people to come in anymore. Surprisingly, Sharon and Pam have come to the conclusion that they want to sell the bookstore and put up a for sale paper in their store about three months ago. Business gets tough and sometimes people got to move on to something else. Pam feels sad about the situation but still keeps a positive attitude and a grin on her face every day. Customers still come in and purchase items which makes profit not that horrible. The bookstore may look run down but inside people can find just about any book and great coffee. So next time, if you happen to take a stroll through Bloomsburg, make it a point to stop by the bookstore. It will help the business out a lot and perhaps there will be an amazing book or two that no other store carries.