This question has come up lately. Yes, we are still here.

Anybody who manages a Bahá'í bookstore in their community knows that this is not a lucrative endeavor, nor one that will generate much income. At present, we are blessed with a setup where all costs associated with maintaining and distributing inventory are sustained by the business activity. While some may imagine a buzzing office with staff, this bookstore is operated by one individual in two rooms. As a parent of 5 children, there is a financial cost to this service due to the need to hire babysitters. For a few years, this situation provided an opportunity for very flexible work to youth engaging in increasing acts of service to the community. We learned much about subsidizing, bartering, training in work skills, exploring creative work options around service, and prioritizing the channeling of youth's energies into meaningful service while ensuring that their basic material needs were covered.

This year priorities have changed. Focus areas for teams of youth on full/part time service have changed. We now have new question: if we need to pay to perform a service, is paying to run a bookstore the best use of our resources?

There are no easy answers. In the meantime, yes, our time in the bookstore has slowed considerably and there are more questions than answers: how many of the practices of popular business are to be expected from a Bahá'í bookstore? How important is a Bahá'í business in advancing community? Is it timely? What is most necessary? Where are our resources most needed?

Your ideas and suggestions or thoughts will be most valuable in advancing understanding about the role and purpose of this business.

Thanks to all who participated in our online survey for feedback on our service with a focus on our online presence.

Here are the results! Does this reflect your opinions? Please do comment and share any additional thoughts or suggestions. Or visit our online survey: Peaceful Pages Survey

Frequency of Bahá'í Purchases:

42% purchase Bahá'í books more than twice per year or less

22% once per year

Where do you get your Bahá'í Books?

30% online (various sources)

30% at events

24% Peaceful Pages online

9% BDS online

21% bookstores

Have your purchased from Peaceful Pages online?

51% No

48% Yes

What about more e-books available?

94% just as likely to buy books

6 % less likely

With more downloadable music?

53% just as likely to buy CD and DVD

47% less likely to buy CD and DVD

Overall Experience with Peaceful Pages website

Most people were very happy with the appearance, ability to find what they were looking for, ordering process , shipment and satisfaction. Highest score went to likelihood of recommending the site followed closely by overall service J.

What is most important in choosing a business?

1. Quality of product
2. Friendliness
3. Price
4. Cooperation
5. Sustainability Practices
6. Speed of Shipment
7. Convenient Location
8. Investment in Social Causes
9. Free Shipping
10. Collaboration with local artists/craftspeople/service providers
11. Collaboration with foreign initiatives
12. Competitiveness

Suggested Priorities for Website upgrade:

1. Option to access individual account and track purchase (23)
2. Option to add reviews on products (20)
3. More accurate online inventory (19)
4. Ability to download audio files (19)
5. Expand shipping options like 'pick up' (15)
6. Ability to download text files or e-books (15)
7. Mobile friendly (14)
8. More stories and community news/learning (11)
9. Option to upload local photos and interactivity with site (5)
10. More regular blog entries (3)

We enjoyed your uplifting comments and particularly any specific material or practice that is useful to you and your communities.

Thank you!

While seeking a specific publication for a customer I stumbled upon " The Five Year Plan, 2001-2006: Summary of Achievements and Learning", printed by the Baha'i World Center. My worried mind went right to thinking "Well now here is an outdated publication!", so I began flipping through the pages. Did I ever notice the wonderful photographs before? Wait, an insert on microfinance? An article on when and how to seek external funding for projects!? Establishments of local schools?! Experience on recruiting youth from the community for service?

This may have happened somewhere in the world over 6 years ago, but just the idea of these were highly relevant to the locality where I'm living. Perhaps to you too!

So let me share with you my excitement and renewed interest to look through this wonderful publication with fresh eyes. Eyes seeking to gain insights that might inspire and guide the activities were are engaged in right here.

Over the special period of Ayyam-i-Ha and the first week of the Fast, Peaceful Pages offered to make a contribution to the Biblioteca Comunitaria Dr. William House in the Dominican Republic in honor of every customer that purchased between February 24^th and March 10^th. We are happy to share that a contribution will be made this week in honor of 14 wonderful customers.

Thank you everyone!

A tiny heartwarming blessing of working in the bookstore:

On February 14^th, a gentleman driving through town decided to stop by our store and pick up some books. He was beginning his study of the Bahá'í Faith and had several books on loan from his friends in Southern Oregon. He wanted to return the books and have copies of his own. So the nice man found the replacements, added a few others to his collection and proceeded to check out. As he departed he mentioned his wife was waiting in the car and they'd be on their way to a nice dinner and evening out. With a sparkle in his eye he said that he does plenty of 'withdrawing' from the relationship and it was time for him to make some 'deposits'. His enthusiasm was so radiant, I dared ask how long they had been married;  45 years was his answer.

The day had just become brighter through their visit. Face to face marketplace interactions are priceless.

Is this efficient? Resourceful? Necessary? Affordable?

These are the questions more and more people are asking about everything from books, to tools, to clothing, infrastructure, and more!

How about a community lending library? There are plenty of books we may only review once. They uplift and inform us, they educate our community, are a source for research, etc. They can also be costly!

Here are a few good resource books that your community may wish to own in a shared library.

Maxwells in Montreal (V 1 and 2) - $50.00 Learn about the history of this fascinating family in Baha'i History! - High Quality hard cover books

Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees - $49.00. A book that finally gives us background and information about the wives, sisters, daughters, and mothers of the Bab and Baha'u'llah's families! - High Quality hard cover book

Mahmud's Diary - $46.00. A wonderful account of one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's companions in His trip through America. High Quality hard cover book.

Memories of Nine Years in Akka - $42.00. A translation of the memoirs of Dr. Youness Afroukhteh who served as 'Abdu'l-Baha's trusted secretary between 1900-1909. High Quality Hard Cover book (480pp)

Purchase one of these as a gift to your community library (or to get one going!) and you'll get a 20% discount - Offer ends April 21, 2013

Purchase from Peaceful Pages

Your Name will go on a donation to build a library in the Dominican Republic

Simple

Offer ends March 9th. Together we can make a difference! You get uplifting materials. You can share them as gifts or when you are offering hospitality. Children and adults in the DR also get books, hospitality and training. What can be more joyful?

As we exit a very busy holiday season in the United States and approach the special period of Ayyam-i-Ha, the Fast and the Baha'i New Year, we'd treasure the chance to learn what you do to strengthen a Baha'i identity in your children. Though 'Baha'i culture' is something we are striving to understand in collaboration with others, we have all had experience, insights and learning worth sharing.

We invite your thoughts and stories!

New Product on its Way

We have entered into an agreement with the Warwick Baha'i Bookshop to distribute their "Spiritual Pursuit" game in the United States! The game is now on its way here and will be placed on our website as soon as it arrives. For information about this game visit http://www.warwickbahaibookshop.co.uk/

Use this game to spice up your community social gatherings, Holy Day and Feast social portions, home visits, family nights, and more!