Giving back to community

Celebrating this year’s Love Your Bookshop Day, The Star Mail recently interviewed Matt and Claire, owners of The Book Barn, the “one stop shop” in the Dandenongs for books and art supplies.

The bookstore was opened in 1995, initially focusing on discounted and remaindered books.

It has since grown from its “bargain priced roots” to a “full-fledged bookstore relied on by the local community”.

Apart from providing the latest book releases and a full range of artist materials, the owners feel a sense of responsibility towards the community that extends beyond just stocking items that people wish to purchase.

Matt and Claire explained: “We regularly donate to many schools and organisations in the area.

As one of the longest standing businesses in Belgrave, we understand how important it is to give back to the community.”

“We also see ourselves as a local meeting point, with people often saying they’ll ‘meet at The Book Barn’ before going off and enjoying all that the hills have to offer.”

The bookstore has an impressive number of loyal followers.

When a staff member departed in 2020 after nearly eight years of service, there was an outpouring of well wishes from the locals, with praises and support for the “incredibly lovely, helpful and knowledgeable” Book Barn team.

The bookstore also has 1.5K and 1.1K followers on Facebook and Instagram, respectively, and operates a meticulously designed website.

“Simply having an online presence is not enough in the current age. All businesses need to be active online, and use as many social media platforms as they can to engage with their customers.”

But what distinguishes The Book Barn’s website is the “staff picks” and “book reviews” carefully curated by the staff, who remain the heart and soul of the bookstore. “We are often given access to books before their official release, and this gives our staff members a chance to read and review before they hit the shelves.”

“We have always preferred this to be organic, and allow the staff to pick their own books. That said, many of our staff picks have been suggestions by our regular customers. Book recommendations definitely go across both sides of the counter at The Book Barn.”

When asked about strategies to survive and thrive as a brick-and-mortar bookstore while facing fierce competition from those online, Matt and Claire responded: “Online commerce is an everyday part of life. One of the most disappointing aspects of this is public perception that small businesses are in some way ripping off the consumer.”

“This is NOT AT ALL the case, and you only need to look at the similar pricing all independent bookstores operate with. It is incredibly difficult to consider this an even competition, when the larger online stores are given advantages by the publishers that smaller stores could only dream of.”

Like many constant readers, Matt and Claire believe there will always be a place in the market for in-person bookstores like The Book Barn. “Because nothing can replace browsing through bookshelves!”