You won't find stuffed animals at Snowbound Books in Marquette. You won't find videos, coffee, CDs or DVDs. What you will find is gently worn wooden shelves filled end to end with fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, biographies, cookbooks, poetry, New Age, children's books and more; some used, some new, all sold at discounted prices. And if you can't find what you're looking for you need only ask, and it can be located or special ordered.
Ray Nurmi opened Snowbound at 118 N. Third Street in 1984, with an inventory of 10,000 used books from his own collection. The store has since expanded to fill the entire first floor of its building and now also features cards, journals, reading glasses and other book-related items. The store hosts its own book club and also posts a list of selections being read by other area book clubs.
The Snowbound staff are friendly as well as knowledgeable. Mention a favorite author and you will not only be led to that author's books on the shelf, you'll be offered the names of other authors that may interest you, as well.
Snowbound manager Dianne Patrick says interacting with customers is the most satisfying--and most educational--aspect of her job.
"We interact with so many interesting people, who (usually) know way more about their given areas of interest than we do. This is especially true when it comes to Upper Peninsula history. Secondary to learning is the community building that happens in a bookshop. It is very satisfying to be 'Book Central'," she says.
In an era that ushered in the birth of Amazon and e-books and seen the closing of retail bookstores across the United States, Snowbound has not only held its own, it stands as one of the oldest and most successful bookstores in the Midwest. Patrick attributes this in large part to the staff's passion for literature.
"I think in many ways, we are a 'real' bookstore. We carry new releases, bargain books, and have a great stock of used, quality backlist titles. It is also important that our staff reads, and reads, and reads. Plus, we work really hard to stay frugal, so we are always looking for ways to save money and eliminate waste. Last but not least, we do try to tap into the community. We do off-site events, work with schools and libraries, and try to promote all things literary," she says.
Snowbound's atmosphere is homey, inviting shoppers to browse among the myriad categories of titles, including works by local authors--many of whom can be found at book signings hosted in the store.
Patrick is confident the human element of physical books and bookstores will keep both from ever becoming obsolete.
"There is so much generosity embodied in a book that I think they will continue in their paper form. These new and used books circulate," she says.
In keeping with that spirit of generosity, Snowbound reaches out not only to the community, but to the world.
"We also donate books to benefit sales, ship relevant books to Books for Africa, and always have a box of books ready to mail to soldiers overseas. In keeping with the times, our
website offers downloadable books for any e-reader. So we continue to try and meet people's reading needs and try to give people a local option, hoping that they prioritize keeping their dollars in our community," says Patrick.
Snowbound Books is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. most days, with extended hours on Thursdays, and also is open from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Deb Pascoe of Marquette is a freelance writer and a peer recovery coach for Child and Family Services of the U.P. A former columnist for The Mining Journal, her book, "Life With a View," a collection of her past columns, is available in area bookstores.
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