Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Carroll.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
While going to college I found a small independent bookstore that I loved shopping at that was never organized. After multiple visits where I alphabetized the romance section, the manager offered me a job. That began my love affair with bookstores.

I graduated college, moved to Portland, OR and went through several office jobs over the next 15 years. All the while connecting with the local bookstores in the area and making friends with the owners. When the owner of Jan’s wanted to retire and didn’t have anyone to take over the business, we started talking about me buying it and keeping it open. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.

6 years later and another bookstore in the area has the same situation. Arcade Book Exchange’s owner is ready to retire, so I’m going to buy that store and keep it open as long as I can.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. From the get-go we had issues. The landlord at the location Jan’s had been at for 37 years decided not to continue our lease so a new store had to be found. The building was unexpectedly discovered not to be zoned for retail, meaning we had to do more remodeling than expected. The contractor we found ended up being real bad, and that’s enough said about that…

We get up and going and seem to be settling in… then Covid.

Now we’re out of the pandemic, but the financial crisis in our country have things on a constant roller coaster. Rents have been rising in this area and we’ve gotten priced out. After 6 years in this location, we’ve decided we need to move to help the store continue to survive.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The bookstore is mostly a used fiction paperback store, so we really specialize in people that want to read through an author’s entire backlog.

We’re known for being a store that carries local artists and vendors so you can discover unique gifts whenever you’re looking.

I’m proud of the community we’ve built. We’re a comfortable spot to come wander through and chances are good if you come through frequently you’ll start to get to know our cast of characters.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
As a toddler we lived by my Great Aunt Marie. I can remember toddling from our house to hers in only a diaper and I had such joy going to visit her. She’d tell me stories while Uncle Olga cooked fish in the kitchen. I’m hoping that I provide that feeling of home and acceptance that Marie and Olga gave me.

Pricing:

• As a used bookstore, we offer books at half off cover price, but if you bring books in for credit then a used book is only a quarter of the cover price.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/jansbeaverton/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jansbeaverton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janspaperbacks/

Image Credits
Michelle Bauer Photography