By Jessica Legge Borders
FAIRMONT — Kerri’s Korner Bookstore is more than just a bookstore. It’s now serving the needs of teachers and parents.
The shop, owned by Kerri Childs and her mother Pam Pride, has expanded and features a new addition. The business, open since September 2006, is now called Kerri’s Korner Bookstore and Educational Resource Center.
The Educational Resource Center has been a business in Fairmont for 23 years, but its storefront closed in 2006. Former owner Pat Gower had been operating the entity out of her home and doing Internet sales for the last three years.
In July, Gower set up an area inside Kerri’s Korner Bookstore, stationed at 1011 Speedway Ave. across from McDonald’s. Childs and Pride slowly took over Gower’s business and moved all her items into the shop. They officially became the owners of the Educational Resource Center on Nov. 1.
Kerri’s Korner Bookstore and Educational Resource Center is one store, and Childs said the two portions of the shop complement each other nicely. She and Pride put in some new shelves and display racks to get ready for the expansion.
The Educational Resource Center, which takes up half of the first floor, offers a variety of school supplies for teachers, from decorative items and educational books to planning materials. Parents can find additional educational materials to help their children in school, supplies for their kids’ social studies or science fair projects, and much more.
“It’s a teacher store, but it’s also a parent store,” Childs said. “Teachers can get all the supplies they need for school. Parents can get skill books for their kids to supplement the education they get in school. It’s a large amount of stuff.”
The rest of the first floor has about 5,000 new books for sale. If a customer can’t find a particular new book, the store can order the title at no additional charge. The second floor is filled with around 15,000 used books.
“We are Fairmont’s only full-service bookstore,” Childs said.
She said many teachers have told her they’re glad that the Educational Resource Center is back with a storefront. Childs is trying to get the word out to let people know that it’s no longer an Internet business.
Two part-time employees help the owners run Kerri’s Korner Bookstore and Educational Resource Center. Childs said she loves her job.
“I don’t feel like I come to work every day,” she said. “It’s kind of a hobby.”
Kerri’s Korner Bookstore and Educational Resource Center is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 304-363-BOOK.
E-mail Jessica Legge Borders at jlegge@timeswv.com.
