Congratulations to Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City, Utah, which is celebrating its 95th anniversary this Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24. The store will invite customers to use its selfie station to share their favorite books with the world. (Weller staff will be doing the same.) Weller Book Works has also created a zine featuring unusual items from its Rare Books Room. And the store will hold a sale: recognizing it beginnings as a used bookstore, it will discount used books 25% on Friday and 50% on Saturday. Rare books will be discounted 25% on Saturday. Some exceptions apply.
The store noted that 95 years ago Gus Weller "picked up some used books with a lot of second-hand furniture he purchased for resale." At that moment in August, 1929, he decided selling books would be better than selling second-hand furniture or radios, and Zion's Bookstore was born.
In 1946, Gus's son Sam Weller returned home from serving in the army, intending to use the GI Bill to study musical theater. Instead, Gus persuaded him to take over management and ownership of Zion's Book Store. In 1969, the store's name changed to Sam Wellers Zion Bookstore.
In 1972, Sam's son Tony Weller began working at the bookstore after school. He became manager of Sam Wellers Bookstore in 1992, a time of great change in the family, downtown Salt Lake City, and in the bookselling landscape. In 2012, the bookstore moved from Main Street to Trolley Square and changed its name to Weller Book Works.
In 95 years, the bookstore has had five locations and nearly as many name variations. The store emphasized: "What hasn't changed during those 95 years is a dedication to the book and our community, and a fierce independence."