Business & Tech
Grand Opening: Inklings Books and Things
The former Borders Express location has been transformed into an independent little book store, although many of the faces remain the same.
Inklings Books and Things celebrated its grand opening in the former Borders Express location in the Capitola Mall on Saturday Nov. 12. The bookstore features much of the same staff that worked for Borders Express, but it has added toys and science kits to its repetoire, thanks to Inklings' toy-minded co-owners, John Horner and Mark Phillips who also own Tinker Toys.
"When John and Mark came in and saw us doing our work, they saw that we weren't just people here ringing up merchandise, that we were here as people who love books, people who are doing this because we are passionate about it and we wanted to share that with people it's more than just 'ok, next in line.' It's our second home, it's what we love doing, and they saw that," Store Manager Dorothy Monroe said.
Monroe worked at the Borders Express store for five years before it shut down in September of this year. Recommending books and helping people in person is one thing Monroe said she loves about her job, and it's an experience that you just can't get if you buy your books online.
Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"I want this to be a place of discovery, thats the biggest thing for me. I think it's important for bookstores ... to be a place of creativity," Monroe said.
Green and eco-friendly science kits like "Recycled Bottle Light" and "Plastic Bag Monster" are some of the more unique toys carried at Inklings Books and Things.
Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Because we're partially a toy and game store too, we hope to appeal to kids as well. Not just in the fiction sense but also like educational type books, we have a lot of educational kits," Assistant Store Manager Jax Dunn said. "We're hoping to be a force in the community for helping kids read and getting them excited about reading ... especially in the young adults set, which is when kids start to lose the love of reading. We're trying to keep that love alive."
Inklings is located next to Sears in the Capitola Mall, at 1855 41st Ave., Capitola.
Have you checked out Inklings Books and Things yet? Tell us in the comments!
