Words Worth Books marks 40 years in Waterloo

Words Worth Books turns 40 How has a Waterloo bookstore survived the digital wave? CTV’s Spencer Turcotte finds out.

Despite the digital wave, the pandemic and the supposed death of independent bookstores, Words Worth Books in Uptown Waterloo is celebrating 40 years.

“It’s pretty rare for an independent bookstore to reach that milestone,” said co-owner Mandy Brouse.

The cherished staple along King Street South was created in 1984, which co-owner David Worsley calls “surreal.”

The duo were long-time employees before taking over the business 13 years ago from original owners Tricia Siemens and Chuck Erion.

Brouse and Worsley maintained a loyal customer base. Along the way, they’ve bookmarked some pretty significant events that shaped the store’s identity.

“We had to move the bookstore over one door to our current location here within the first year of taking over ownership,” said Brouse.

That’s due to out-of-reach rent prices at the time for the size of the store they were in.

The current space is slightly smaller than the early beginnings but the quality never suffered, especially amidst a boom of E-books, which saw chains add other items to the shelves.

“We were going to die with books. We don’t know enough about selling olive oil and towels. And I have no idea what reading socks even are,” said Worsley.

Years later, the plot thickened outside the world of books, which saw several neighbouring businesses close. But the pair managed to keep turning the page.

“There’s proof that you do great work and you're selling something that the community needs and it works. They have gone through obviously the LRT construction transition and then the pandemic and they've done really well,” said Jeyas Balaskanthan, Uptown Waterloo BIA executive director.

Through it all, their love for physical books never wavered.

“You just start to tingle, that’s not going to go away,” said Worsley.

The store has organized numerous literary events, reading groups and community initiatives over the years. The owners are determined to keep the business going for many more years too.

To mark the anniversary, Words Worth Books will host a celebration at the store on Saturday at 1 p.m.

It will include guest appearances from local politicians and the founders of Words Worth Books.

There will also be a presentation of the Words Worthy Award, an accolade that recognizes the profound impact of a Canadian author on both the national literary landscape and the local community.