It May be December, but We're Already Working on February, Times Three.

First of all, I should link to the story in USA Today from yesterday (I almost called it USA Yesterday, but reversed myself, worrying that someone would think that was one of my usual typos) on hardcover book sales during the holiday season. Alas, I am Daniel Golden in that one, but I can assure you it's still me, particularly because I make a funny at the end.

But today I am not thinking of last week's sales, but Feburary's. I think I mentioned yesterday that I was furiously booking February events, and Anne and I were already receiving Valentine's Day cards and gift items, but we've got another February project going on. Sometime during that month, Starbucks is going to expand into our biography section. It's only about 350 square fee, but we will lose one window, our art wall, and one to two cafe tables, depending on what art exhibit was up.

On the other hand, Starbucks will get several much needed tables, as this location is often completely full. This is part of a complete upgrade for the cafe, and I believe it involves closing their store for four to six weeks. They will continue to be open, but they are not sure what form that will take. It might be a take-out window, or it might be a mobile coffee van.

To prepare for that, we're working with Jeff and Thor on rebuilding some bookcases for us. Five cases altogether are going to be put on platforms and casters so that we can reposition them for moving the biography section into the center of the store. We'll move the walled fixtures that currently include biography about ten feet inward. This will allow us to have more staff rec shelves, which will be great because right now, several booksellers are sharing. In addition, we'll probably have one case on the outer wall which is still to be determined. I'm guessing it might be the awards case, which will be moved from where it is now, on the other side of new and noteworthy.

I would recommend Handy Jeff for any job; my only concern is that if I talk him up too much, he'll never have time to do repairs.

Our first retooled case was delivered today. This was previously in our storage room since when we first opened. I have no idea what it previously was. Right now we have four shelves on each side, but I think for it to work, we'll have to reduce it to three.

Hey, it's almost a coincidence that the book I shouted out in USA Yesterday was Building Stories. Get it?