| Dixon, IL October 21, 1998 - Leigh Nagy
Where does one go to buy a book in Dixon? Where does on go
to buy anything in Dixon? These questions have long been a
topic of discussion in the community. In recent years, though,
downtown Dixon has expanded and more businesses have been
opening. With the addition of the mini-mall, a new path has
been trodden and with each passing month we are seeing more
activity in the downtown area.
However, since Edward's closed several years ago, there has
not been a mainstream bookstore in Dixon. Pilgrim, which has
been located downtown for years, sells mostly Christian material,
and to buy best-sellers in town, one must go to Shop-Ko, which
is not famous for its tomes.
Enter Larry Dunphy, proprietor of Books on First. With a
passion for reading and an impressive history in retail, Mr.
Dunphy seems the perfect person to become involved in such
a venture. Books on First opened on Oct. 10, and is open seven
days a week, unlike many local businesses.
The Dunphys bought the building, formerly Finishing Touches,
a year ago and since then have been busy completely remodeling
the building. |
About thee and a half weeks ago, books started
coming in and about two weeks later, Books On First opened
to the welcoming community.
The Dunphys are from Chicago, but Mr. Dunphy's family farms
just south of here, so he knows Dixon. Mrs. Dunphy is still
in Chicago, but once a week she brings down the fresh-roasted
coffee from the Coffee and Tea Company in Chcago that supplies
the coffee that is also sold in the shop.
The set-up of the bookstore is not unlike Borders or Barnes
and Noble, both coffee shop/book stores, but on a smaller
scale. When on walks in, the blue carpeting and high ceilings
give the shop a cool, graceful air, and with tables and counters
facing the street, it is reminiscent of a Chicago café.
Shelves on the left side of the store hold books, which range
from William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway to Stephen King
and Toni Morrison.
The offbeat sculptures on the top of the shelves complement
the fun, relaxed atmosphere of the place, and smell of coffee
is hard to ignore. There are also homemade pastries, such
as muffins, scones, biscotti , and caramels, supplied by Margie
Wildman of Dixon. Through a door in the back of the shop,
there is a small stairway that leads to a partial second level,
which is the children's books section. |
When I went up there, I recognized many of
my favorite books as a little girl, like "Corduroy's
Pocket," "Harold's Purple Crayon," and assorted
Doctor Seuss books. I also saw books that I have read over
and over to my little brother, like "Is Your Mama A Llama?"
and books by Eric Carle.
Talking to Mr. Dunphy, I found out that he was the only person
currently working in the store, although his wife does come
down on weekends to help. They buy the books, which come in
about once a week, directly from the publisher. The proximity
to the library, which is a block and a half away, helps business;
as Mr. Dunphy said, "We target people who like to read."
He does not view the library as competition, instead he sees
it as a mutual relationship.
I very much enjoyed the talk I had with him. We're both big
readers so we talked about books a lot, although he does know
quite a bit more than I do, so I did my share of the listening.
He once took a 12-week class on James Joyce's "Ulysses,"
which helped him to understand what is a difficult book. I
was fascinated by the things he knows, which he willingly
shared with me, someone he scarcely knew.
The bookstore is worth a visit, whether to have a cup of
coffee, read a book, buy a magazine, or just to sit and talk. |
