Reader’s Edge Bookshop turns the page

Paul M. Anderson

GLENDALE -- One loyal customer was so upset his favorite bookstore was

closing, he offered to loan money to Reader’s Edge Bookshop owner Ed

Tellefsen.

“He said, ‘If it’s just money, I’ll lend it to you,’ ” Tellefsen said.

“I cried. I wasn’t prepared for that.”

When Borders opened a store on Brand Boulevard in Glendale, Tellefsen

said he could see the writing on the wall. “Big box” bookstore chains are

squeezing small, independent bookstores such as the Reader’s Edge out of

the market.

The Reader’s Edge, 2329 Honolulu Ave., has been a fixture on the

Montrose shopping strip for more than 11 years. But on Feb. 19, Tellefsen

and his wife, co-owner Diane, will close the doors for good.

But that won’t spell the end of the couple’s bookselling days.

“We’ve always tried to run our lives going toward something instead of

running from something,” Tellefsen said.

The next chapter in their lives will be a Web Site devoted to finding

rare books and promoting literacy, Tellefsen said.

“Basically, everyone looks the same on the Internet so we feel we have

a shot,” Tellefsen said.

Tellefsen has no hard feelings toward the bookstore chains that he

says put him out of business.

“Between Borders, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.Com it’s a fight at the

O.K. Corral, and whoever is left standing wins,” Tellefsen said. “I don’t

think they’re aiming at us, just at each other. And now it’s getting to

the point where they’re cannibalizing themselves.”

With a new Barnes and Noble set to open soon at Glendale and Wilson

avenues, Tellefsen said he didn’t want to stick around for the killing

blow.

The Montrose store’s closing saddened loyal customers.

“It’s terrible,” said Vecelia Poulson of Verdugo City. “I’m an older

person. I can’t get used to this Internet stuff. I can’t browse on the

computer.”

Wanda Bergstrom said she will miss the Reader’s Edge.

“I’m just sick about it,” Bergstrom said. “It had that small-town

feeling. It wasn’t like the big bookstores.”

The store’s main edge over the big chains is Tellefsen’s literary

know-how, Bergstrom said.

“He’s so helpful and very knowledgeable,” Bergstrom said.

The store was also notable for its open mike nights for young writers

and other events.

“In the courtyard next door we used to do full readings of things like

‘Twelfth Night’ with the Dancing Dogs Theater Group,” Tellefsen said.

When he started winding down the special events, the outpouring of

grief from customers took Tellefsen by surprise.

“We never realized people would be traumatized because we’re not going

to be doing that,” Tellefsen said. “Some people have been coming in

saying, ‘Let’s set it up as a book club and pay 20 bucks a month.’ ”

At least one longtime customer may not be so affected by the closing

as Tellefsen makes the switch to the World Wide Web. Tellefsen said he

has a customer who moved to Switzerland several years ago who still

orders books from him to send to her friends in Montrose.

But until the Web Site opens, the Reader’s Edge is selling off the

inventory at half price until Feb. 19.