Out & About / Ventura County : Page Turner : Not Fade Away : River valley’s only bookstore has diversified in a bid to keep going.

Citrus abounds, but bookstores are in short supply in the Santa Clara River Valley communities of Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru. In fact, Mr. Nichols’ Books-Antiques-Art at 935 E. Main St. in Santa Paula is it.

According to John Nichols, the bucolic valley’s population of 40,000 is just too small to support more shops.

And, like communities everywhere, the reading public has decreased at the same time that large chains have gobbled up whatever customers remain.

But Nichols wants to make clear that his business is not fading away--he has just diversified his wares. Specialization is a trend that many independent booksellers have adopted in an effort to remain competitive, he said.

“I’m one of the few remaining bookstores in Ventura County not owned by a mega-conglomerate,” he said.

“I started out over 10 years ago as a new bookstore and, over the years, my business in new books went down 95%. I’ve adapted by making my business 95% used books.”

He buys and sells rare and used books, and will special-order new books for customers willing to wait a week.

An interview with Nichols reaps flip answers and plenty of substance. He used to have poetry readings but found that people who like to read poetry don’t like to spend money.

On the other hand, he welcomes browsers with a room called the “browsorium.” Browsing is mandatory; buying is optional, he said.

Another sign over a room at the back of the store warns that “unattended children will be sold as slaves.” When you note that there are very few chairs, he asks if you ever see people buy when they are sitting down.

Nichols blames the decline of the reading population on today’s busy society--reading a book takes time. He quotes a recent study that suggests 45% of U. S. residents do not read books, and the remaining 55% manage only one or two a year.

He’s not surprised. People often drop in to his store and say they’ll come back when they have more time, Nichols said.

“Everything I sell requires the luxury of time, and that’s in short supply in modern culture,” he said. “People spend time on the Internet because that’s interactive--books aren’t interactive unless you have an imagination.”

*

Nichols uses his imagination these days writing essays and scripts. He was a columnist for the now-defunct Santa Paula Chronicle. He’s written scripts for the Santa Paula Theater Center’s annual October Ghost Walk, when the public is invited to tour the city’s historic neighborhoods. Along the walk, they are confronted with a character who performs a monologue.

Along with books and art, Nichols collects antiques--particularly paper ephemera.

That includes everything from old postcards to snapshots to albums. He boasts that his Santa Paula Snapshot Museum is the only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the anonymous snapshot, and said he’s one step ahead of the dumpster.

If all these interests aren’t diversified enough, you can engage his services as a museum exhibit designer and curator.

If you’re still wondering about life after the conglomerates, talk to Mr. Nichols at 525-7804.

HAPPENINGS

* Tuesday, 7 p.m.: Discussion of T. C. Boyle’s “Tortilla Curtain” by First Tuesday Contemporary Book Group. Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

* Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.: Story time. Read about bath time in “Just Me in the Tub” by Mercer Mayer and “Mortimer Mooner Stopped Taking a Bath” by Frank Edwards. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9170.

* Wednesday, 7 p.m.: Great Books of the Century Reading Group. Featured book from the ‘70s, “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.: Contributing author and publisher Byron Belitsos will discuss and sign his new book, “Just in Case: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Y2K Crisis,” a compilation of 18 essays. Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban” is available at Adventures for Kids in advance of author J. K. Rowling’s appearance at the bookstore Oct. 25. 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura, 650-9688.

* Thursday, 7 p.m.: Science Fiction Reading Group. Featured book, “Through Alien Eyes” by Amy Thompson. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Thursday, 7 p.m.: Joseph’s Book Binding Class. The Book Doctor will discuss book repair. $2. Book Mall, 105 S. Oak St., Ventura, 641-3665.

* Friday, 7 p.m.: Story time. Candlewick Press Stories featuring “Teeny Tiny Woman” by Arthur Robbins and “Farmer Duck” by Martin Waddell. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Friday, 7 p.m.: “Harry Potter” trivia contest. Winner will receive a signed copy of the newest “Harry Potter” book at the J. K. Rowling book-signing Oct. 27. Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Westlake Blvd., 446-2820.

* Friday, 8 p.m.: Book-signing and food demonstration by Sheri Updike, author of “The Lactose-Free Lady.” Calabasas Barnes & Noble, 4735 Commons Way, (818) 222-0542.

* Saturday, noon: Mystery authors contributed their favorite recipes to the cookbook “Taste of Murder,” edited by Robert Weibezahl. Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.: Pajamamania welcomes “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile!” for story time. Borders, 497-8159.

*

Plan ahead: Daphne Rose Kingma will discuss and sign “The 9 Types of Lovers: Why We Love People We Do and How They Drive Us Crazy” Sept. 12. at 3 p.m. Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 446-2820.

Information about book-signings, writers groups or publishing events can be e-mailed to anns40@aol.com or faxed to 647-5649.