Thursday, December 17, 2009

Public Library has Power Meters for Patron Use

The Boulder Library is now stocking Kill-a-Watt power meters for their patrons to checkout in order to monitor their power usage. What a great idea! Patrons can use the library to obtain resources to help them live more frugally and save energy. Triple win!

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_13997988

P.L.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Third Friday at Walk a Crooked Mile Books - 12/18/2009

WACM is doing better, but continues to need local support. They have been sponsoring Friday evening events for holiday shopping. This Friday, 12/18 there will be another open-house at the bookstore, so come visit, shop, and enjoy some snacks. Fun for all ages!

Walk a Crooked Mile Bookstore
Gowen and Devon Streets - Mt. Airy R7 Train Station
Mt. Airy, Philadelphia

Friday, 12/18/2009
5:30 - 9:00 p.m.

http://www.walkacrookedmilebooks.com

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From Greg Williams - 12/15/2009

Dear Friends,

Things continue to look more and more positive at the bookstore. We had a good turn-out at last Friday's open house. Then our Boyer St. Neighbors had a kid friendly open house on Saturday morning with kids running around, dogs and cats interacting, cups of hot cocoa everywhere and lots of people buying lots of books. Look for the pictures soon at our website www.walkacrookedmilebooks.com. We have one more open house, we're calling it Third Friday, this Friday December 18 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. We'll have wine and hummus and crackers and s'mores for the hardy but we also have a few other twists. One of my neighbors, Todd Kimmell, will bring his pony cart of images and set them up outside the shop for your enjoyment and shopping pleasure.

Hope to see you.

Greg and Cynthia
Walk a Crooked Mile Books

Walk a Crooked Mile Books in Need of Support

Walk a Crooked Mile Books recently contacted people on its mailing list to ask for support during this economic recession. As such, this blog will feature periodic updates on special events at this wonderful secondhand bookstore in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia.

Please support Walk a Crooked Mile and your local used bookstores!

New Website: http://www.walkacrookedmilebooks.com

The Phrugal Librarian

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From Greg Williams - 11/1/2009

Walk a Crooked Mile Books closing ?

Dear Friends,

Walk a Crooked Mile Books might have to close it doors soon. We have been open for fifteen years. Our knees and backs have aged through those years but we hoped to stay open a few more. But the recent economic situation has led to mounting debts to our landlord Septa and to the IRS for employee withholding taxes. If these are unpaid, we will have to close.

We started the shop with a roomful of books in December of 1994 and accrued a fair amount of debt to open it up and, unfortunately, we still have that debt. I continued to teach for about 10 years to support the shop as it grew. About 5 years ago I left teaching and worked full time in the shop and it continued to grow and was just supporting my partner Cynthia and I over the last few years and we thought we were secure. You, our customers and friends have been very supportive, buying our books, telling your friends about us, and donating boxes and boxes of books. Many of those books have been recycled and sold in the shop. Many of them have gone to individuals in the community through our overflowing free pile. Almost 9,000 books have been shipped to Korea to build a University library there. And many of them have sold in the shop and supported us and our work.

When I opened the shop, I wanted to be a bookseller but I also wanted to be a community builder and I’m proud that Walk a Crooked Mile Books has become a part of the warp and woof of Mount Airy. We started a free concert series nearly ten years ago and have had countless wonderful evenings of music outside the shop. We have sponsored the Umpteenth Mount Airy Yard Sale for umpteenth plus Saturdays. We’ve seen countless young babies grow to toddlers who come to watch the train come in, and then start finding books to read in our $1 kid’s books, and they are now in High School. We’ve served coffee and tea to thousands of you and you have let us into your lives. We are grateful for all of this. We hope you feel that we are an important aspect of the community and that we need a good used bookstore in the area.

If we have to close, we don’t want to do so without letting you know our situation. I think we have till at least January or February to see if we can turn the tide. If not, then I foresee a four month going out of business sale. We certainly will honor all trade credits and commission sales. We don’t need more book donations right now. In fact, we have an embargo on incoming books till at least January 2010. WE DO NEED TO SELL MORE BOOKS AND FIND MORE REGULAR BOOK BUYERS. We’ll raise the price of some of our offerings with the hope that this will help but we really hope to hear from you in the way of an increase in your shopping with us. Perhaps you could also buy Gift Certificates or books as holiday presents as ways of bringing us more customers. Quite a few people have stopped by the shop and asked if they can make donations and we are looking at the possibility of that.

These are tough times and many of you are also hurting and we understand. If it is time to close, we’ll accept that and find other ways to support ourselves and participate in the community.

Thanks

Greg Williams and Cynthia Potter
Walk a Crooked Mile Books

P.S. Visit us at our newly launching website www.walkacrookedmilebooks.com which has been generously built by Rachel Polisher of LIVE ALBUM WEB AND DESIGN. We will have updates there. If you don't find it the first time, give us a few more days and check back. We also will be in touch with follow-ups.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Why should anyone read personal finance books?

So, exactly why should anyone bother to read personal finance books?

My answer is very similar to the one given by Trent at The Simple Dollar. Reading finance books keeps me accountable to myself. I want to live a frugal and satisfied lifestyle free of debt. So far, I have accomplished that goal, and I want to maintain that lifestyle. Quality information helps me to do that.

Nine Reasons I Keep Reading Personal Finance Books by Trent at The Simple Dollar.

Check it out!

P.L. a.k.a the Phrugal Librarian

Biblio-Phrugality Website Up and Running

My INFO652 class at Drexel has finished for the Spring, 2009 term. My final project, the Biblio-Phrugality website, is up and running.

Come read about the wonderful secondhand bookstores in the City of Philadelphia!

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~dab333/652/index.html

P.L.

Colors finally fixed

Sorry for blinding all the readers with a crazy color scheme. Everything should be settled down now.

P.L.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Monthly Book Swap: High Point Cafe, Mt. Airy (Philadelphia)

The High Point Cafe at the Allens Lane R8 Train Station in Mt. Airy is sponsoring a monthly book swap the Third Thursday of every month from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Come bring books to swap and enjoy some coffee and dessert while you are at it!

Starting Today, Thursday, May 21, 2009
Third Thursday of every month

High Point Cafe
Allens Lane Train Station
Mt. Airy

Book swapping is a most excellent and phrugal idea!

P.L.