Long-Term Booksellers:

Enjoying the Wonderful World of Books
Melissa Meneses, store manager
San Antonio, Texas

When Melissa Meneses first walked through the doors of her local B. Dalton in North Star Mall in San Antonio, TX, as a holiday bookseller, she never expected that 26 years later she’d still be in the same profession.

“It all panned out as a wonderful place for a career for me,” she says.

Growing up, Melissa never visited bookstores, choosing libraries instead. But once surrounded by so many pieces of literature every day, the magic took hold of her, and like many, most of her paycheck went right back into the store. That love of bound prose and serving customers took Melissa from part-time to full-time, from lead to assistant store manager, and ultimately to store manager.

One of Melissa's favorite experiences occurred when students from an elementary school visited Melissa’s Barnes & Noble store in San Antonio, TX, for a field trip. One little boy asked her for books about President Obama, and his eyes lit up when she put the perfect book in his hand. It’s these kind of customer interactions, especially with children, that reminds Melissa why she loves bookselling so much. “We get to show both children and adults the wonderful world of books all day,” she says. “And nothing is better than that.”

Melissa learns something new each day from her customers and fellow booksellers, and that’s one of her favorite things about her job. It’s no wonder Melissa has stayed with the company all these years – simply because she loves what she does. “Working here has been the most consistent thing in my life,” says Melissa. “I feel like I was raised by Barnes & Noble.”