A local mother and daughter are marking a significant achievement this weekend, working together for 20 years, as Otley’s independent book shop, Just Books celebrates its 20th anniversary.
To thank local customers for their support, which has seen them thrive as other independents have closed their doors, they are are inviting the local community to join them for their birthday party on Saturday 22nd July 11am-4pm with complimentary drinks, crafts and balloons for the kids, prize draw and a slice of Birthday cake.
Manager and Buyer, Sara Elliott, joined the company upon it’s arrival in the town. She said: “I was half-way through completing my teacher training at Trinity College when I responded to the ad for a sales assistant in my summer break. A new book shop seemed exciting and, with my love of books, it seemed the perfect job”
“As a manager had yet to be appointed I agreed to take on extra responsibilities. Those responsibilities never stopped coming, I really fell for the job and within weeks I became the permanent shop manager and have been here ever since! In 2006 I also became the company buyer – overseeing all the titles and gifts we stock”
Needing to take on staff in the early days of opening, Sara didn’t hesitate to rope in her Mum, Sheila, for a few shifts – as a former Librarian at Leeds University she was perfectly qualified for the job. She quickly became indispensable and, 20 years later, the mother and daughter team still work alongside each other.
Working with family is not for everyone and the duo can’t say things have always been harmonious. Sheila said “The key to working with my daughter is sticking to opposite shifts!”
The small Yorkshire Independent bookshop chain was born in 1983 with it’s first shop in Huddersfield. It was set up by Yorkshire born Phil Emery, a publishing rep dealing in remainder books. Business grew rapidly with shops in both Bradford and Leeds city centre quickly following. It was then, in the summer of 1997, that Just Books Otley opened it’s doors in the Market Square.
It’s not all ‘just books’ these days as the business has expanded to also stock a range of gifts from Sass & Belle, Star Editions and Wild & Wolf alongside greeting cards.
Local writers and authors are well supported with former Otley museum curator Paul Wood having his local history titles in stock and another member of Sara’s family also getting in on the action – the popular ‘Otley through Time’ is a favourite, written for the museum by Sara’s Dad, Stuart Pickersgill.
In the last 20 years, especially with the arrival of e-books, a lot has happened to the humble book; only this week insight from Mintel’s Books and e-books UK 2017 Report has revealed that sales of physical books are set to rise by 6 per cent this year to £1.7 billion, while e-books are predicted to take a tumble. In fact, physical books will continue to fly off the shelves with a predicted 25 per cent growth in the next five years.
“The print book revival continues as consumers, young and old, appear to have established a new appreciation for this traditional format,’ said Rebecca McGrath, senior media analyst at Mintel. ‘In such a connected world many people increasingly value time when they can get away from screens. When it comes to print readers, many value the chance to enjoy some digital-free time at home. As lives and homes becomes even more connected and digitally-focused, the rare moments one can “switch off” will likely become even more highly regarded, helping further cement the importance of print books in people’s lives.”
As for Just Books, Sara says: “ I believe our secret to success is the personal service we offer – finding the right book for someone is our mission!
The party is free to attend, visitors are just welcome to pop into the shop in Otley Market Square on Saturday 22nd July 11am-4pm
Just Books can also be found in Ilkley, Hebden Bridge and Brighouse.
