Book enthusiasts in Brisbane’s inner South will be familiar with Karen and Michael Weibler’s Books@Stones in Stones Corner. A book store that caters for diverse tastes.

1. How long have you been in the book business?

Karen and I purchased a small niche bookseller (Allmedic Book Supplies) in January 2003, so over 21 years. It was a speciality business catering to the nursing, medical and allied health professions and except for our student customers, it was really a business to business enterprise.  It had been in business for over 20 years before our purchase, known as Baldings Books for most of that time.

2. What inspired you to open Books@Stones and when was is established?

We opened Books@Stones as a more general independent book shop on Melbourne Cup Day 2011, so we have been in the general book trade for just under 13 years.  Allmedic Book Supplies was located in Stones Corner but on the first floor in a small space. We decided that it was time to expand into a more general book shop as we thought that Stones Corner was about to be significantly redeveloped and we wanted our business to be part of that and to have a bigger role in our local community as we only lived in the next suburb at the time. (we now live in Stones Corner, so it is our village).   Unfortunately, Stones Corner has been slow to redevelop but it is now occurring.

3. What types of books do you primarily stock?

We concentrate on books by Australian authors or with Australian themes and stories for children and adults. We try and cover most genres of fiction and non-fiction to some degree and we now have a growing international fiction section.  We still carry a selection of nursing, medical, allied health and alternative medicine textbooks.

4. How do you choose the titles for your shelves?

Sales representatives from all the major publishers visit or contact us monthly to highlight new releases.  We also use customer recommendations and views to inform our choice of stock.

 5. Can you tell us about any unique or rare books you have in stock? 

We have a deliberate policy of have a solid backlist of stock, and not just new releases.  We also have a few speciality alternative health books that are not found elsewhere.

 6. What events and activities do you host at the bookstore?

Book launches, author talks, poetry events, children’s storytimes & holiday events, book signings on a Saturday morning, Book Clubs (Australian crime fiction, Australian fiction, and two non-fiction).

7. How has the local community responded to your store?

We have strong support from our local community and a loyal customer base. Our Book clubs are attended by people in our local community.

8. What challenges have you faced as an independent bookstore owner?

Competing with large retailers (Online and physical) that have the buying power and loss/leader marketing strategy to heavily discount books as just another retail item rather than the intrinsic cultural value that books have to our way of life.

9. How do you promote reading and literacy in the community?

Through our social channels, newsletters. We support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation by raising money through Gift Wrapping, local schools through donations for prizes for events, send out free of charge our annual Kids Reading Guide to all the schools.  We also conduct book fairs at schools and sell books at off site author or related events as the opportunity arises.

10. What are your future plans for Books@Stones?

To continue to develop the frequency of our author events and our social media marketing and to employ a specialist to assist us in these areas.

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Books@Stones, 360 Logan Road, Stones Corner QLD.

Poetry readings the last Thursday of the month. Free event. starts at 6.30pm. Bookings essential at info@booksatstones.com.au