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INTERVIEW
Lita Williams, at Scoop and Share ® interviews long-time bookstore owner Janet Webster Jones of Source Booksellers. She makes literary arts visible in Detroit, Michigan.
Janet Webster Jones
Owner, Source Booksellers
ABOUT JANET
Janet Webster Jones, the daughter of a librarian, is a retired educator from the Detroit Public Schools, where she spent a 40-year career. She has been in the bookselling business since 1989. Her foray into book selling started while teaching a class about an Egyptian study tour she'd taken. An attendee noticed Janet regularly brought in books about ancient African history to share what she learned with the class, and suggested she sell her books at a church Christmas bazaar. Along with other serendipitous experiences, a vending business emerged, and she found herself taking books to events and selling them to attendees (today's version of a Pop-Up Business).
Janet opened her first brick and mortar store, Source Booksellers, inside the Spiral Collective, a shared space with three other women-owned, African American businesses on Cass Avenue and Willis Street in Detroit's Midtown area in 2002. The bookstore moved in 2013, right across the street to its current home in the new Auburn Building at 4240 Cass Ave., Suite 105.
In December 2024, I visited the neighborhood bookstore and was delighted to find such a warm and welcoming space. The store is small and filled with a wonderful selection of non-fiction, essential to an expanding intellect.
Sitting aside the customer service station was Janet. With the biggest smile, she greeted me and gestured to learn of any assistance that I may have needed. Though the store was busy, the engagement of staff and the wide reading selection inspired and advanced my experience with positivity.
I'm grateful that Janet was able to spend time with me a few weeks later for a short interview.
Get the scoop to share
Lita
Source Booksellers owner, Janet Webster Jones, shared the scoop on her success in the bookstore business for more than 15 years. If you're in Detroit's midtown area, don't hesitate to stop by Source Booksellers. You'll find a knowledge center rich in customer service.
Q: Considering the 35 years your bookstore has been in business, what has led to its longevity?
"Service to the people - we have to serve the literary needs of people that come to us or people we reach toward."
The small bookstore has a wide span of non-fiction selections and varied types of other publications, as well as a great source for gifts, too. Though the bookstore is primarily brick-and-mortar, since Covid, Janet has deployed online efforts and shipping to assist in requests at Source Booksellers - Source Bookselllers LLC.
Q: Over the years, have you become more selective of the types of books you bring into the store?
"No, we were always selective. We have a curated inventory and a unique niche of non-fiction books. We try to stay up with trends and interest, but we were always picky about what we chose."
Q: After observing a gentleman in the store specifically asking you for a specific book, I saw you reach in your data base - your brain, you pulled out a world of references - amazing. Do you find that a lot of your customers are aware of your experience and really reach out to tap into your knowledge directly, rather than [go to] other bookstores?
"We're an independent bookstore; we're not a corporate entity. I would say about me, in particular, I bring to the moment everything that I have - that I've gathered, collected, learned, read [and] used over the years that I've been living on the planet. So, that's the secret sauce you can say that I do. Also, as we are, there are about 4,000 other independent bookstores that are a member of the American Bookstore Association and every independent bookstore owner brings what they have to it. I can't say that for corporate bookstores where you hire people to enter in transactions. But, if it's an independent bookstore, you're going to have somebody in there with a wealth of knowledge."
Janet described a recent experience where she personally assisted a long-time customer who was locked out of his car. The description was a testament for how much community service means to Janet and why she has many long-term and repeat customers.
Q: How do you express the manner in which you look at your business?
"The business came about as a result of opportunity and courage. And so, I keep that in my mind, ... that every day is an opportunity, first of all to serve our reading public, our customers, our neighborhood and our neighbors ... or anyone who has the courage to walk in the door ... every day is an opportunity to respond to calls, requests and needs and so on. I don't dwell too much in the past, because it's already gone ... it's fixed in some kind of way; so, I'm always ready to run on -now."
Q: Share a positive experience that you can recall about a product, service or information, i.e. shopping, traveling or dining?
"There is a new restaurant in Detroit, named Fixins (soul food) ... the food was delicious, the service is lovely. The environment is very homey, and the restaurant is beautifully done."
Regarding positive experiences, in general [regardless of whether it's a product, service or information], Janet provided an awesome tip; she stated that "the audience will have to be open to possibilities, and that you have to bring your full self to whatever you're doing, wherever you're doing it and with whomever you're doing it with - when you do that, you'll get your joy."
For more information, email AskLita@ScoopAndShare.com