As you enter the Regulator Bookshop, your eyes may be drawn to the mural in the children’s section featuring an air balloon and a camel, both carrying books. Or you may notice the “new” section at the entrance, a popular section curated by the owners and employees, from new books they’ve enjoyed to the most-discussed novels.
The space is small and may not have every book you want. It’s no two-floor Barnes & Noble, and there is no dedicated romance section in sight.
In a world of digital consumption, brick-and-mortar bookstores are often seen as antiques of a nostalgic era. Yet the Regulator remains a cherished community staple.
“Part of what Durham is, in so many ways, is the intersection between Duke University and the broader community, and the bookstore is pivotal in that relationship,” former Duke professor Laurent Dubois wrote about the Regulator in the book “My Bookstore.”
But is the Regulator’s pivotal role enough to guarantee its survival?
***
Fifty years ago, Duke alum David Birkhead founded The Regulator Press, printing political news for grassroots organizations. Two years later, in 1976, fellow Duke alumni Tom Campbell and Aden Field joined, the trio began selling books and The Regulator Bookshop was born.
Bearing the name of a group of North Carolinians who spearheaded a revolt against the British in the 1760s, The Regulator embraces nonconformity and progressive values. It has served as a hub for the exchange of ideas, welcoming outspoken authors such as Margaret Atwood, John Hope Franklin, and former Vice President Al Gore.
In 1978, following Field’s departure, John Valentine, another Blue Devil, joined Campbell until both retired in 2017 and sold the store to two longtime employees, Wander Lorentz de Haas and Elliot Berger. Campbell and Valentine wanted the bookstore to carry on the culture they forged: championing small presses and catering to the diverse tastes of its community.
Now the Regulator stands as one of the oldest establishments on a street transformed. The Regulator persists even as other book stores struggle: Durham’s Letters Bookshop recently announced they are shifting from private ownership to a community-owned cooperative for long-term survival.
On a recent Sunday, the soft hum of conversation mingles with the occasional rustle of pages and music curated by the Regulator staff. The tinkling of the doorbell signals the arrival of a young family, whose two children eagerly dart between the bookshelves, heading for the book nook — two worn couches —where other children and adults are reading.
“It’s hard to describe how much the bookshop owes to the community,” says Mika Murphy, 27, a longtime Regulator employee. Local elementary and middle schools hold scavenger hunts that lead them to the bookstore, and book clubs shop for their books at the store.
“Everyone from your teacher or your garbage collector, public service worker, to our state senators and City Council people come through,” says Murphy. “It’s like a meeting place for people of all walks of life in Durham.”
***
As bookstores nationwide grapple with the challenges posed by the rise of e-books and online retailers, it’s easy to wonder if they are the next Blockbuster — the multimedia rental chain that ceased operations in 2014.
Bookstore sales plummeted by 45% from 2007 to 2019, falling from $16.8 billion to $9.12 billion. Meanwhile, according to Census Bureau data, the number of U.S. bookstores dropped from 12,151 to 6,045 between 1998 and 2019.
Brick-and-mortar bookstores’ biggest competitor is Amazon. Within five years of Amazon’s inception in 1995, the number of independent bookstores declined by 43%. Now, Amazon controls over 50% of the print book market and 80% of the e-book market.
“Amazon is a concern, though our focus is on books they rarely promote and do not surface easily with their algorithms,” says Lorentz de Haas, one of the shop’s owners.
Durham community member Jonathan Corbin agrees. “Who wants to give up the experience of going to your bookstore? The calm, safe environment, the smell of books, the friendly people, the opportunity to run across books you could love that isn’t dictated by some algorithm that boxes you in. Need I say more?” he wrote in his Google review of the Regulator.
The store has had to make some changes to survive. The bookstore closed amidst the pandemic and discontinued in-store events after reopening. The new owners no longer lease the downstairs area, which previously housed the events, used books, and a café.
The Regulator has also made some additions. It hosts an online store where customers can place orders for pick-up or delivery. It also has Instagram, Facebook and Twitter presences.
Yet the store’s in-person sales, aided by its prime location, continue to be its primary source of revenue. As a New York Times-reported bookstore, what the Regulator sells is reported to the Times bestseller lists. The store has been profitable for seven years now, according to its owners.
In fall and other busy times of the year, the bookstore might see between 100 and 200 faces a day, many of them regulars.
“I am very bullish on the future of the shop,” Lorentz de Haas says. “We have made it into a very distinctive shop.”
Until the day an Amazon bookstore opens next to them, he’s not worried.
Pictured above: Photos of the Regulator Bookshop by Valentina Garbelotto — The 9th Street Journal
