The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
THOSE WHO BELIEVE bookstores should be small, fluorescent-lit and filled with people sharply breathing in to let another person pass would not like Rosetta Books.
On the other hand, if you like a bookstore with space, soft lighting, loads of books and helpful staff, you’re in for a treat.
Rosetta Books has been operating in Maleny for about ten years and last October made the move to a new premises about 100 metres down the road.
Anne Brown, who has owned the store for two years, says she had her eye on the new location for a while, as the two-storey store they were in at the time did not suit retail.
“We had outgrown where we were,” Anne says.
“Ever since this place became vacant, I knew the bookshop was meant to be here.”
But it wasn’t as simple as moving in and opening up shop.
Walls were knocked down, floorboards were polished and custom-made bookshelves were put together to ensure the space remained uncluttered and open.
Double doors now lead into a store filled with Chesterfield lounges, David Trubridge lighting designs, sprawling rugs, happy faces and more importantly thousands of books.
Wooden signs identify each genre and sit proudly above rows of unique or well-known titles.
Tall stands display cards for every occasion, as untouched journals patiently wait to be written in.
Nestled at the front of the store is a section for local authors. It is just one of the ways Anne has found to support the community that has supported her.
Anne says her local customers gave her the confidence to relocate at a time when the financial climate was unsteady.
“I just knew they would follow,” she says warmly.
And follow they did, more often than not, with family, friends and little ones in tow.