DogStar Books

DogStar Books continues to be open for in-store business from Monday to Friday 11AM - 4 PM. No appointment is required. Shop occupancy is limited to 7 customers in total. Thanks Brian @ DogStar

Hello Book Lovers We have been open now for a little more than 2 weeks. Understandably customers have been very few and far between. As we transition to green in Lancaster I am updating our hours and policies. We will be open Monday - Friday 11-4. We will no longer be open on Saturdays.... We continue to recommend making an appointment to visit the shop. We can take customers on a walk-up basis. We will continue to limit visits to 1/2 hour and follow all other procedures previously announced. Make an appointment using the link below.

As we prepare to open Tuesday here are a few things to remember. This is a work in progress and we will do all we can to accommodate you while doing our best to keep customers and staff safe by following very closely the best practices recommended by epidemiologists and the CDC It is highly recommended that you reserve your time at the shop by using the scheduling app .. https://square.site//FZF8Q0NHT/dogstar-books-lancaster-pa ... We are offering first time users of the scheduling process a 20% credit toward purchase. If you walk-up for a visit without an appointment we can accommodate you if there is space according to the guidelines of less than 2 unrelated parties in the shop and/or less than 6 people in the store. Here are the guidelines we will follow and what you can expect. The door will be locked. So make sure your mask is on and well fitted to your face, covering nose and mouth. Knock or call to announce yourself. We will greet you at the door and record temperatures. No, this is not overkill. If I have an elevated temperature I will not be open and if you have an elevated temperature you shouldn't be out shopping. If you did not make an appointment and walk-up, we should have a note on the door indicating available space or not. Knock or call to announce yourself; we will take contact information so that in the event we are informed of any positive Covid case in the shop you can be contact traced for your safety. We ask that you apply hand sanitizer when you enter, either from your own supply, or supply that we have on hand. Visits are limited to 30 minutes maximum. We will ask that you exit from the rear. Please only use the bathroom if absolutely necessary. 20% of all sales in our first 2 weeks of being open will be donated evenly for the benefit of Act Blue Community Bail Funds; Campaign Zero; The Committee to Protect Journalists and Black Lives Matter. Email me at [email protected] with any questions

Looks like the scheduling app is up and running. Times can be booked in blocks of 15 or 30 minutes. Time can be booked under my name Brian Frailey and under "Slot 2". Please don't try to book time when there are two groups blocked for the same time. If you are having trouble booking time call the shop (717-823-6605) and I will book the time for you. Click the link below to schedule your visit. https://square.site//FZF8Q0NHT6/dogstar-books-lancaster-pa

What's going on at DogStar? I have been clearing boxes of unpriced material from the floor to the shelves and creating more space for distancing. We are targeting Tuesday June 9 for reopening. We have managed to source most of the supplies we need and should have the required plexiglass installed by the end of this week.... *In every respect we expect to err on the side of caution. Community spread of Covid-19 continues in Lancaster City and surrounding municipalities. *As previously outlined we expect to reopen at first by appointment for 2 groups at a time not to exceed 6 total customers on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday schedule; 11-4pm. We should have an appointment app available soon. It will be set-up for visits of either 15 or 30 minutes. Please reserve your time based on your expectations so that we can accommodate all. Those looking to sell books will be scheduled for Wednesdays and can make appointments by email or by phone. We may make Thursdays available on a walkup basis but again with limitation of no more than 2 discrete parties and no more than 6 total customers. *The appointment app will allow us to collect contact information for the sole purpose of notifying any individual or group should we become aware of any Covid related visitor or employee. If you enter as a walk-up we will ask you to supply basic contact information. *Required for shopping at DogStar is a well fitted mask that covers mouth and nose. PLEASE no half-assed mask wearing! If you can't wear a mask properly there really is no point. *We will scan temperatures at entry and require a fresh application of hand-sanitizer. I am looking forward to seeing you all again and intend to keep the shop as safe as possible for you. We are all in this together and we will come out of this stronger if we work together. We have urgent work to do as a community and as a nation. The seemingly never-ending number of human beings whose lives have been snuffed out, without consequence or punishment, by egregious police brutality must end. We look to our principles and we look at ourselves and say this it where it must end! Freddie Gray; Philando Castile; Alton Sterling; Tamir Rice; Erik Garner; Ahmaud Arbery; Breonna Taylor; George Floyd. Their deaths demand our attention and our action. 20% of all sales in our first 2 weeks of being open will be donated evenly for the benefit of Act Blue Community Bail Funds; Campaign Zero; The Committee to Protect Journalists and Black Lives Matter. See you soon .... peace, out.

DogStar Books Plans for Reopening (aka) "What's Going on at DogStar?' ( a longish screed) I tried out some books on honor system in front of the shop and have fielded a number of delivery orders. But it was pretty clear early on in the lock-down that our best course was to cater to our online business. So between getting my kids comfortable with online learning, becoming 2nd cook at the house and the increased online business obligations I have been very busy. I have also bee...Continue reading

Not long ago it was really hard for many of us to find time to read. Now staying at home, we sometimes struggle to find something that relaxes and enriches us. We binge some shows, do big cleaning and organizing projects, and read alarming news on our phones. We struggle to get our kids focused on continuing education with the resources available. This is a great opportunity to get back to reading books, especially so for our kids. I encourage you to contact me with request...s for reading material. You can be specific with requests but you will likely be more successful with requests that are a little more wide ranging. I can send photos of shelves of books that are within your interest. I can make suggestions. For example: - I'd like some age appropriate picture books with a STEM focus. - I'd like to know what you have in sci fi/fantasy for young readers - I want to read classic mysteries etc I will do my best to find the books that will make your shut-in time easier, educational or escapist as required. At this time I anticipate making deliveries either once or twice a week depending on demand. The shop has been closed now almost 2 weeks, so the books are "safe." Delivery can be made by appointment as a drop off. Payment can be made either by Paypal or by credit card over the phone. My 16 yr old son is doing his driver ed so killing 2 birds with 1 stone no delivery charge. Minimum order $20. I may start to add "bundles" of books with photos in certain focus and genre areas with prices from which to choose. For now just send me your requests and let's see how that works. Best contact method for quick response is to send email to [email protected]

Community books table at DogStar on Tuesday March 17. -- From 12 pm - 3 pm -- Approx 200 books from kids to fiction to history --PLEASE READ: MY REQUESTS... 1. Limit of 1 person at the table at a time 2. Limit of 5 books per patron 3. Be courteous and efficient if someone is waiting. 4. Try to handle the books as little as possible 5. Bring your own bag 6. As the books may have been perused by others, use care in disinfecting surfaces prior to reading. Use best practices. 7. I will continue this service periodically but will not recycle books from prior days until they have "rested" at least 10 days. 8. Donations for books can be made to our Paypal account.- [email protected] 9. Donations of 1 to 2 dollars a book are more than sufficient. It is not intended as a book sale, but more of a community resource. 10. With the knowledge that many will be short of work and short of funds donations are on an entirely voluntary and honor basis. This could last quite a while so let's "get back to reading"

Out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with the recommendations of the experts I respect, DogStar Books is closed indefinitely. We will be closed until such time as free testing is available to all who need it and until such time as the infection curve in our country stabilizes I feel it is irresponsible to invite the public into such a rambling and large space that I am ill equipped to sanitize and clean as required. With that being said, I welcome specific book requ...ests and they can be made by messaging on FB or by calling the shop. I will do my best to provide a quick answer. We will ask that payment be made by Paypal, which will simplify and keep socially distant the transactions. Also starting sometime this week we will be providing a table in front of the shop with a range of books serving different age readers. This is intended as a community resource. Books that remain at the end of the day will not be put out again for at least a week. We only ask that the resource be treated with respect for all - that is, take only a few books and be courteous to others. Only one person or related group browsing at a time. Donation in lieu of payment will be accepted to our PayPal account using a basis of 1 to 2 dollars a book. With the knowledge that many will be short of work and short of funds this is an entirely voluntary and honor based recommendation. I will post daily when we will be offering this service. Stay well and safe and stay reading DogStar

No poetry event with Turning Wheel and Ed Granger. Hopefully rescheduled at a later time. Thanks

DogStar Books is closed March 9 - 13 for long overdue inventory and store reorganization. Thank you for your understanding. We will be in shop and answering calls.

We'll be periodically posting photos of new arrivals ... here a pair of typed signed letters from JRR Tolkien