Long-Term Bookseller:

20-Plus Years and Not Counting
Contributed by Lisa Ogden, store manager
Battle Creek, Michigan

Since I was a child, I always dreamed of running my own shop.  I grew up watching my dad run his own shoe store near our home in Battle Creek, MI.  For me, Barnes & Noble is that shop.  I feel like this store is my own.

I got my start at Barnes & Noble by simply being a customer.  One of my favorite booksellers saw me purchasing children’s books regularly. She suggested that I interview for a job.  Although I was hesitant at first to work full time, I’m glad I accepted that first position.  In 1986, I was hired as a senior bookseller at the Battle Creek, MI, B. Dalton store, and within a year, I became an assistant store manager and then store manager.

While I have always remained in the Lakeview Square Mall in Battle Creek, my surroundings have changed dramatically.  The B. Dalton store was replaced with a new Barnes & Noble.  I remember feeling like it was as if they were building a castle for us.

One “interesting” thing about me is my district manager nicknamed me “Moses,” apparently because I’m always talking about helping “my people.”  That is the thing I like most about working at Barnes & Noble – our people. And helping our booksellers in all aspect of their lives is one of the favorite parts of my job.  It is amazing to hire someone as a teenager and watch them grow and go off to college.

Besides caring for our booksellers and customers, I also enjoy talking to local students and encouraging them to read. I just want them to know that they can do anything.  When I was their age, I had trouble reading, and now I am running a bookstore.  If I can do it, so can they.

I’m thankful for Barnes & Noble for giving me the chance to run my own store and impact so many lives.  I joined Barnes & Noble more than 20 years ago, and I’m looking forward to many more to come.