“Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.”
– E.B. White
Whenever I travel or move, one of the first things I do is hunt down bookstores, especially used bookstores. So when I arrived in Kanata, I had to find my home away from home. I found a couple in Ottawa, but they were overly crowded and disorganized. As much as I like spending time in bookstores, I didn’t really want to search through piles and piles of books in hopes of finding something I would be interested in reading. On top of that, the drive to these places was longer than I really wanted to make. It didn’t take me long to find Re-Read Used Books. It is a smaller store but close, well-organized, and has a nice collection of current books.
Re-Read’s History
Re-Read Used Books opened their doors on September 27, 2015. Dean McIntosh opened the store as a retirement plan with the business model of recycling and keeping a minimal carbon footprint. All items in the store are reused, things that were found used or donated by neighbours, not just the books. More on the opening, check out the article here.
A Bump in the Road
Like many other businesses, when COVID fell upon us, shops had to close their doors to customers for lockdowns, and Dean admitted they were a little worried about what to do when it happened. After a meeting with the staff, they decided to put a sign on their van and start making deliveries. Dean said, “We had an advantage over most other used bookstores as we have an online inventory customers could search. Delivery was met with huge success. We didn’t charge for delivery, as everyone was feeling the pinch.” They would have customers place their orders throughout the day, and in the evening, the orders would be gathered and delivered during the night. Fran, the store manager, would even organize a delivery route to do it all efficiently.
Continuing Success
When asked about the success of Re-Read Used Books, Dean said, “We are very proud of our store. The keys to the success of the store is a combination of great staff, Fran in particular, and amazing community support. Our customers are the best!”
They are always looking for book donations. If you bring in some of your gently used books, you can get a discount on any purchases made in the store. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look, and don’t forget to say hello to Garfield, the resident orange tabby, who enjoys sunbathing, welcoming visitors, and on occasion, inspecting the new books. Garfield not only has his own merchandise (available in-store), he even has his own business cards.
Re-Read Used Books also sells:
- DVDs and Blu-rays
- Boardgames
- Puzzles
- CD’s
- Bookish Items (handmade bookmarks, book sleeves, and more)
Dean believes that the store wouldn’t be the success it is without the community of Stittsville, adding, “We are also very proud to be part of Stittsville and to show our pride we carry Stittsville souvenirs.”
So stop by today and find yourself something good to read.
Wonderful store. Feels so cozy and great selection of books, dvds etc. Garfield is king of this castle for sure😁
Amazing store – Dean and Fran are super people – I don’t live close by and I am always able to make an order that makes it’s way close to where I can come in and pick up from the east end of town. So greatful for the amazing selection and great organized inventory to be able to make easy work to order many books in the past years with them!
They truly are super. FYI – the bookshop has been sold and the new owners will provide the same great service.