Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Basically Books & Petroglyph Press
David and Christine Reed have made their mutual love of books into a lifestyle. David’s mom, Frances, was the children’s librarian at Hilo Library from 1958–1968. His dad, Stephen, started Petroglyph Press publishing company in 1962, before the couple opened Book Gallery in 1968. Petroglyph Press is still located in the same downtown Hilo building 57 years later.
David took over management of Petroglyph Press in 1974 when his parents “retired” for the first time, passing the press on to him and the bookstore to his sister. David and Christine became partners in the business when they married in 1976. After expanding Petroglyph Press into Old Town Printers and Stationers in 1979, the product and service mix evolved into a broader selection.
David says, “It was a natural progression to open Basically Books in 1985, allowing us to focus on the books, maps, stationery, and gifts that were already a part of Old Town Printers. From the beginning our specialty was Hawai‘i-related products. When we relocated both businesses to a single larger location on Kamehameha Ave. in downtown Hilo in 1997, we dropped the name Old Town Printers and returned to simply being Petroglyph Press.”
After their decades-long history in several Hilo locations, both businesses moved to their present location in July 2017. It has high visibility, is walkable from Banyan Drive, has a large covered lanai and its own parking lot—a big plus from the former downtown location.
Basically Books specializes in Hawai‘i books, maps, gifts, and music. Christine says, “We carry one of Hawai‘i’s largest selections of Hawaiian music CDs and promote our local musicians. There are many local artisans and artists whose work we stock. We try to have a little something for everyone and encourage people to shop local.”
The owners are especially proud of their Children’s Corner— it’s filled with books, stuffed animals, games, toys, and educational products.
Christine continues, “Our niche of specializing in Hawai‘i-themed books expanded into a wide variety of gift items. Our tagline is ‘More than a bookstore…a gathering of things Hawaiian’. As a bookstore we place a high value on the sharing of information, including being a gathering place for authors and musicians at special events. We pride ourselves on our customer service and knowledge base in fulfilling our customers’ needs. Our focus on Hawai‘i allows us to represent many facets of life in the islands.”
David and Christine basically learned how to operate the businesses on the job, having been engaged in printing and retail at their own business for most of their adult lives. They have been self-taught in many areas by seeking out educational opportunities in classes, workshops and seminars, engaging staff members to help them learn new technology, and obtaining training from experts among their vendors. David says, “While neither of us has a formal education or college degrees, our real life experience has been the best teacher.” Both credit many outstanding staff members over the years who each have brought their own strengths and vision to the business.
In the coming year, the Reeds want to focus on continuing to outreach within their community to provide opportunities for engagement with writers, artists, musicians, and people in general. A greater use of social media like Facebook and Instagram helps spread the word. Christine asserts, “Literacy among children is so important, as is learning through play. We have a mix of visitor and local customers. They range from parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles shopping for children, to visitors eager to know more about Hawai‘i, and local residents who want to learn more about the history, culture, environment, and natural history of our island home.
“With the growth in Hawaiian language competence, Basically Books is uniquely positioned to support the expansion of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i through the increasing number of resource materials being created. Through Petroglyph Press publishing we continue to select material and create new books about Hawaii. Our latest book, The Life and Times of Kamehameha, combines a collection of magazine articles written by William Westervelt between 1903–1925 with illustrations by the late Dietrich Varez, a beloved local artist.
“We enjoy sharing our love for our home and guiding visitors to local sights. As new products arrive and new books are released we want our local residents to embrace the latest information. It is always good to have someone leave the store feeling like they have become part of the family.”
Basically Books
Petroglyph Press
1672 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo
Basically Books: 808.961.0144
basicallybooks.com
Petroglyph Press: 808.935.6006
petroglyphpress.com
