The Village Bookstore on Washington Avenue has been a staple in downtown Pleasantville since 1972, despite the growth of Kindles and other electronic book-reading devices.

“Sales have not gone down,” said employee Bob Brutting. He said people use both devices and paper copies. “When they go away [on trips], they don’t want to carry around six to eight books.”

The Village Bookstore caters to browsers. Book recommendations flood the store’s shelves. Note cards placed near books help the average browser get a better indication whether they will like the book or not. “[I enjoy] helping people discover books they didn’t know existed,” said Brutting. “Then, maybe it becomes their favorite book in the world. To me, that’s the fun part of the job.”

Roy Solomon, one of the Village Bookstore’s owners, never thought he would enjoy owning a bookstore as much as he does. For 14 years, he and fellow co-owner Yvonne J. vanCort have seen it grow and move locations.

“I never thought I could stand being interrupted,” noted Solomon. “But it was very easy to get used to, actually. I really like the flow of activity.”

Owning a bookstore has been an eye-opening experience for Solomon. He said the small businesses like his make Pleasantville special. “You care about what the sidewalk looks like, what the garbage pail down the street looks like,” said Solomon. “It’s nice to be a part of that.”