By Melissa Wagoner
Karolle Hughes has seen bookstores come and go during the 30 years she’s lived in Silverton.
“Whenever one would come in, I’d say, ‘Dag nab it!’ because I wanted to do that,” she recalled. “But it just wasn’t the right time for me.”
Then Chuck Tauer opened Books N Time in 2013 and Hughes knew right away that his store was something special.
“I could peruse the store and pretty much know if they would succeed or fail. But when Chuck opened, I had such a good feeling,” Hughes said.
She became a volunteer, spending the time she wasn’t working in social services, selling books to ensure that this would be the store that would last.
And it has, for nine years. But at last, after the graduation of his son, Shane, Tauer decided to retire.
“Pam and Chuck are adventurous and they wanted to explore living somewhere else,” Hughes said of the Tauers’ plan. That led her to purchase the store.
“The dominoes fell pretty quickly and this amazing opportunity just landed in my lap,” Hughes said. “It was exhilarating and terrifying. My life has come full-circle back to my passion.” Which, of course, is books.
An avid, lifelong reader, Hughes admitted, “My house is like a bookstore.”
But she’s hard pressed to come up with a favorite book.
“I love so many different genres,” she said. “I’m a mystery buff from way back. And true stories, I’ve read many books on leadership and having to do with the unhoused population. I just love to read.”
Which is why the purchase of Books N Time was such a natural next step for her.
“I will be forever thankful to Chuck and Pam,” she said, “Even though it’s a lot – trying to get my ducks in a row.”
Although much of the store will stay the same – including the store’s name – there will also be a few changes.
“One of the things we’re doing is inventorying all of our books and building an online presence so we can sell books online,” Hughes said. “And I would love to get an international author here for a book signing.”
Those are just two of the many ideas Hughes has for ensuring that Books N Time stays relevant and open for many years to come – something independent bookstore owners have had a harder time doing since the advent of online booksellers like Amazon and its Kindle device.
But when asked, Hughes said she’s not worried.
“I hear from many people that they love an actual book,” Hughes began. “And people love independent bookstores. I get that comment a lot.”
