For the last 19 years, Michael has owned and operated the second-hand bookstore, Book Lore. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
In an age when digital media rule the eyeballs, a second-hand bookstore in Lyneham has continued to thrive despite technological advances.
Owner of Book Lore, Michael Johnson, has owned and operated the shop for 19 years, and in that time, he has seen many technology trends come and go.
Kindles, iPhones, audiobooks and plenty of other forms of digital media have all attempted to become the main way people have read stories, yet despite these advances, Michael, like many other keen readers, believes there’s nothing better than holding a physical book in your hands.
“Places like this are just becoming far more important as we move into a more digital world, and I think they’re getting busier as a response to that as well,” he said.
“Digital alternatives are functional and convenient, but for a lot of us, like, if it’s either books or records or something similar, it has so much meaning.
“They’re our favourite songs, our favourite stories, our poems, things that we revisit when we need to. We experience joy or sorrow or things like that because they are so meaningful; you want to have them close, you want to have it physical, you want to hold it, you want to touch it, because then we can invest so much more in it.”
While the shop has been operating for 40 years, Michael first took over Book Lore in 2007, the same year the first iPhone was released. He said he recalls when a lot of new technology, especially in the early 2010s, was announced and the nervousness that many bookshop owners had.
However, even as technology advanced and digital offerings became more commonplace, people continued to flock to the store.
Located in Lyneham, the store has had three owners in since it first opened in the early 1980s. Photos: Jarryd Rowley.
Michael has collected and sold thousands and thousands of books.
There is plenty of method to the madness of the store. It even has places for readers to sit back and relax while reading.
“In the last five to 10 years, we’re beginning to really see people prioritise physical media just because of the meaning, because of the experience, because they realise that they just cannot replicate that feeling, that human contact with a digital alternative,” he said.
“The experience of a place like this is very important, so there are people who come in here every day from the local community, and they might just sit and read in a corner or just have some quiet time.
“It’s just being here and being a part of the community. As the owner, you start to see what people are buying, how their interests change and what they’re asking for, so the shop sort of adapts because we’re second-hand.
“We source our books from the local community, so there is that sort of circular sustainable economy of books that comes with it all being second-hand.”
In light of recent announcements, including PlayStation announcing it will cease selling disc versions of its games from 2028 and Disney ceasing shipping to Australia back in 2023, Michael said he believes the media is at a crossroads.
“There is something really special about holding or owning something physically. In terms of books, nothing is more beautiful than an old second-hand Penguin book or an old sci-fi paperback,” he said.
“The books themselves are stories within stories. When you’re holding an artifact like that, you’re getting the author’s story, but then you can also imagine the book’s story. You might be holding a book that has been around for 50 years; that book might have been on the earth longer than you and has had dozens of owners.
“It’s important to keep hold of that. Having something physical is human; it’s real. It might not be as convenient as having a book on your phone, but there’s a weight there.
“A book will change your mind; the phones will change your brain, you know. One is this beautiful human experience, and the other one’s functional but soulless.”
To check out the thousands of books Michael collects from across the country, be sure to stop by Book Lore at 94 Wattle St, Lyneham or visit their Facebook page, Book Lore.
