Piles and boxes of thousands of donated books crowd Donald Alexander’s house as he prepares to turn his vision for a used bookstore in Del Ray into reality.
Alexander, founder and former owner of Book Bank on King Street, plans to open The Company of Books, a used bookstore, at 1712 Mount Vernon Ave. in August to create a neighborhood space for literature.
Since asking community members on the social media platform Nextdoor to leave unwanted books at his home on East Windsor Avenue in mid-June, Alexander said he has received approximately 5,000 used books.
“I was doubtful I’d be able to get enough contributions,” Alexander said. “I had no idea people would be so generous.”
The Company of Books is a nonprofit organization and will rely on volunteers and two paid managers to run the store’s day-to-day operations under a Board of Directors. Alexander, the board’s Chairman, said generated revenue will pay the bookstore’s rent, and he hopes to poll local residents to find Del Ray organizations in need of any leftover profit.
Though he plans to sell a wide range of genres, from science fiction to biographies, Alexander has received many teen and children’s books and hopes to offer a large selection for young readers. Alexander said the donated books are “in very good condition” with few markings, and he expects most books will sell between $2 and $12.
Alexander said he was particularly grateful to discover a set of books titled “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking,” which sells for more than $500 online. He’s choosing to sell the set on Amazon and use the money to cover store expenses.
Due to COVID-19, Alexander said he may limit the number of customers allowed in the bookstore at any given time or open solely by appointment. As a result, he remains uncertain about how much income the bookstore will generate in its opening months.
“It’s unpredictable,” Alexander said. “Even if the infection rate goes way down, it may rise again in November and December, and everybody has to close their stores again.”
Like many other Alexandria businesses, Alexander said the bookstore will be dog-friendly, with his own hound mix, Jake, making frequent visits as The Company of Books’ mascot.
While encouraged by the sheer number of books donated, Alexander said The Company of Books likely won’t receive as much traffic as bookstores in Old Town due to fewer tourists, and he hopes he won’t have to use his own money to keep the bookstore running.
Still, he said the number of donations indicates a thriving community of local readers who could enjoy a used bookstore.
“We'll see if it works as a business, and we'll see if volunteers actually do show up,” Alexander said. “But so far, it’s a massive success. Apparently, they like us here.”
