I like to imagine that the workstations of most copy editors and indexers are overflowing with books. Multiple editions of the Chicago Manual of Style (with sticky notes poking out from the key sections for easy access); dictionaries for Canadian English, American English, British English (unopened for months but then suddenly incredibly helpful when a new project lands in our inbox); or entertaining books (like Index, A History of the, The Subversive Copy Editor, or Dreyer’s English). I can go months without needing a new reference book but sometimes a new project or a new client means a new standard to learn and follow. When these opportunities arise, I head straight to the website of my favourite local bookstore: Someday Books in St. Catharines. They don’t usually have what I need in stock, which is understandable of course. I don’t imagine there’s much need to have a copy of the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors on hand. But they always get it for me. Walking in, waving to the owner, and hearing “Hi Céline, I have your books for you” is so much nicer than having them delivered to my front door in a box with a smiling logo on the front. It might take two weeks instead of two days, but if that’s the price of supporting local and getting to know my neighbours and my neighbourhood, I’m happy to pay it.
Leave a Reply