The Aardvark Blog

Book Archaeology, A New Way of thinking about Bookshops, There is no I in Team
4/07/2024

I have been getting ready for our sale - which starts this Sunday with a big jamboree, loads of stalls, Blue Moon playing live, extra discounts etc - and in the process have been working through different layers of the warehouse book stocks, discovering countless books I have no memory of having bought. But whilst I have little memory of the books, it is amazing how often I can remember the stories that lay behind my purchases. The sad house clearance in Orleton where the owner had left this world voluntarily; the library belonging to a member of my extended family by marriage which contained wonderful works of philosophy and history; the books that had belonged to a relative of my sister's by marriage, who had had a career in publishing and whose collection reflected a lifelong love of the classics. All these stories and more flash past me and I see again the people whose books I am now handling.

Closer to home there are the books that belonged to my own parents. I have kept those that meant something to me, but sadly with the best will in the world I am never going to be a fan of J B Priestley and there is no point in  filling the Aardvarks' already book rich home with titles that I will never look at.

Often book archaeology leaves me happy as it triggers good memories, or stories that loved ones have told me about the owner of the books. Increasingly some of the books come from former customers, or from customers who are having a clearout or moving home. I guess that book archaeology is a game we can play in our own libraries. The books of one's youth are in one corner, the books that one acquired at University in another; the books one bought to understand a country before one travelled there; the books that relate to one of my and Ethel's personal obsessions - Venice in my case, poetry in hers. Books not only furnish a room - to quote Anthony P - they also furnish a life.

A couple of weeks ago Ethel and I finally took our long delayed break to France. In the stunning village of Veules Les Roses we found a bookshop that was emblazoned with the slogan 'Librairie & Concept Store'. Leaving aside the growing French trend to launch into English at odd moments, it made me wonder whether this franglais term wasn't actually tautological - aren't all bookshops concept stores? And if not what are they? Reliquaries?

A huge thank to the Aardvark team both for coping whilst we were away with such élan, and also for their work ahead of this weekend's sale. The warehouse is truly full of bargains, and getting them onto tables has meant a massive effort from the Lucys, Andy and Ethel. Needless to say I have been there to make suggestions as appropriate. There is an art to delegation that is not always appreciated.

Do come on Sunday and see the results of their collective labours!