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Club Business and Announcements
The Veterans’ Day Parade will take place on November 11. Please let Bob know if you can march and help carry the flag
The Veterans’ Day Parade will take place on November 11. Please let Bob know if you can march and help carry the flag.
Our new joint service project will be volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.
Betsy announced that she is collecting toiletry items for veterans. Please bring donations of shampoo, lotions, and other items.
The revised date of the Beach Bumper Ball Challenge, November 16, is awaiting approval by the Town Council. Our Art Festival for next summer was already approved.
Donna announced that 28 barrels of goods are on their way to the Bahamas for hurricane relief.
Sunshine
Lynn and Nancy were inducted into the club last September 20.
Linda and Elizabeth are celebrating birthdays on September 30.
Happy Bucks
Linda is leaving this week for a Jazz Tour of Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City.
Sandy missed the picnic to go on a cruise to Canada; past District Governor Steve Serta happened to be on the same boat.
Peter biked from Oneonta, NY to Wakefield with his sons, completing a coast-to-coast trip he began when he was 18. He also has a grandchild on the way.
Lori rode 600 miles on her bike through WI, IL, IA, and MO.
Spence went hunting in Cazenovia, NY with his family and they bagged 25 geese.
Beth thanks everyone for contributions to polio cessation and Alzheimer’s research.
Russell is celebrating his 42nd anniversary. He also went to the Rotary Zone meeting in Niagara Falls where he had two meals with the incoming president of Rotary International. He learned that lunch meetings are not popular with younger people and that many clubs are changing their meeting times to accommodate working families.
PROGRAM
Program: Bob Ryan, owner of Wakefield Books, introduced by Beth Leconte
Bob started in the book business 30 years ago while a URI student. His store in the Wakefield Mall used to be a Waldenbooks but became independent in 2011 when the chain went out of business. At the time, many people thought that print books would be replaced by ebooks, but ebook sales have stabilized while the sales of print books rebounded by 4% this year over last year.
Amazon has changed the book industry, not just by selling books differently but also by signing exclusive contracts with some of the most prolific authors (e.g., Dean Koontz). Some subject matter (fantasy, sci-fi, and romance) have almost disappeared in hard copy. Amazon is also encouraging authors to self-publish (with no editorial assistance) and distribute their own books. Some local authors have asked Wakefield Books to sell their self-published books, which Bob has agreed to do. He told us that he has “made peace” with ebooks and that they provide readers with a different experience than print books.
Bob thinks that books are resilient. Cookbooks and children’s books are among the most popular genres. He says many people are reducing their screen time to read books, play board games, and do puzzles. People also want to support their local businesses, and a recent Shop Your Local Bookstore Day was a success.
Bob ended his talk by giving away a box of free books!
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