Shelf Life: Starting a New Chapter in Cuyahoga Falls
Danielle Sawat, a Cuyahoga Falls native, is passionate about combining literacy and accessibility through her store, Shelf Life. Located in Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, community members can purchase a previously loved book… where most of the books are $1 each! The store began collecting books by purchasing an estate library off of Facebook Marketplace. After sorting through the large acquisition, Danielle realized there were more books than she could ever read. So she decided to share.
After posting her own Facebook Marketplace advertisement, she was stunned by the overwhelming interest in these low-price books. Thus, the idea for Shelf Life was born. The store’s inventory now accepts customer donations (of clean and dust-free books) which Danielle stores and sorts. For each book accepted, the customer receives $0.25 store trade credit.
Shelf Life embraces the relationship between literacy and community in a myriad of ways. The Local Authors section of the store allows space for writers to showcase their work, set their own prices, and gain exposure in the community. As Danielle noted, “every author is local to somewhere”, and she loves to feature them in her bookstore.
To enhance a sense of community with her customers, she created a “2022 Reading Challenge” to encourage readers to explore diverse authors, perspectives, and genres this year. By reading the unknown, she believes this will allow individuals to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Retrospectively, opening Shelf Life has been one of the most overwhelming and rewarding experiences of Danielle’s life. She fears the responsibility of meeting people’s expectations and battles imposter syndrome. Yet, the reward of seeing new readers, especially children, visit the store and express excitement about reading allows these anxieties to slip away. These moments remind her of Shelf Life’s greater purpose: to create an accessible, affordable, and comfortable space for readers to self-educate and visit a world of possibilities.
Although this journey started from the repossession of another person’s book collection, Danielle imagines the previous owner would be immensely proud of the ways his books were shared with the world. His weekly trips to Half-Priced Books, to purchase a magazine and a new book, and use the perfume sample as a bookmark are revived through each customer who walks into the store. Like this man’s weekly routine, Danielle believes that a trip to the bookstore should always be an easy habit to soothe the soul. Books are a reminder that truly there is no “shelf life” on a meaningful story. Literature can be borrowed, bent, or bought - but the love, learning, and community transferred through the pages never expires.
In running Shelf Life, Danielle embraces her dream of becoming the old man bookstore owner in one of her favorite films, The Neverending Story. Her passion for building relationships and sharing stories is evident in her store’s design. She loves to connect with local authors, artists, and new friends. Reach her at Danielle@ShelfLifeBookstore.com or @ShelfLifeBookstore on Instagram and Facebook or visit her store at 2115 Front Street, Suite L, Cuyahoga Falls.
Danielle’s The Akron Bucket List Recommendations:
Visit Highland Square for food, shopping, or coffee. She describes it as, “a special and ageless spot - it has changed over the years, but still has the same integrity”.
Take a book to read at Goodyear Park on a warm summer day.
Explore the vast community resources offered at the Cuyahoga Falls Library
