Belleville Books is opening soon in St. Louis. Clair County, IL

I like to think I’m a woman who enjoys the simple things in life. And when I say that, the first three things that usually come to mind are dogs, coffee and books.

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Of those three, the one I really can’t get enough of is books. As we excitedly await the opening of Belleville Books on East Main Street and the inevitable thrill of the book hunt, I’ve been updating my list of books to acquire.

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I also started making room for new acquisitions in my personal library, and it’s no small feat. My shelves are packed.

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And parting with books is really hard for me, but I’m managing it. I packed up two small boxes to donate to Belleville Books’ inventory.

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Owners Rob Eckman and Steve Mathews bought the old bank building, previously known as the Bridgeman Insurance building, earlier this year with plans to convert it into an independent bookstore: Belleville Books.

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Over the last several months, I kept in touch with Eckman and Mathews, occasionally stopping in at 20 E. Main St. or chatting via a group text to see how things are progressing with the store.

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On an earlier visit, I got to see the big empty store space with newly painted walls, which really brightened up the former bank building.

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Since then, shelving was installed and books were brought in (insert squeals of delight here).

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There’s no set opening date at this time since there’s still a lot to do.

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Mathews texted prior to my latest visit that they are in the process of sorting books and waiting for details to be hashed out on a business loan for lighting.

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Eckman said that once the loan details are settled, he should be ready to give an opening date.

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He texted that they’ve been busy cleaning books with the help of volunteers and that I could bring in my donation anytime.

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So I did stop by this week.

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The room full of books was glorious to behold! (More on that in a bit.)

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My timing was good.

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A quick tour

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Larry Betz, president of the Belleville Historical Society, happened to be there with Eckman, who was about to show Betz around the building and shared some anecdotes from the building’s history. The building’s construction started in mid-1912 and opened as Belleville Savings Bank in October 1913. It operated at 20 E. Main St. until 1957 when Belleville Savings Bank consolidated with Belleville National Bank.

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I was happy to tag along with Betz and Eckman and see it all again.

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The two men discussed the stained glass panels in the doors and windows and elements in the flooring.

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Eckman talked about the building’s architecture, which included an addition to the back of the building, the moving and repurposing of some stained glass panels and markings on the floor that show where the old bank’s cashier office was located.

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There’s also a crack on the floor that Eckman believes was caused by a huge lighting fixture falling years ago.

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I could tell that Betz was really interested in architecture. He’s knowledgeable about different architects and their styles and talked briefly about different buildings in Belleville.

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As the tour took us into the basement, we saw a little bathroom for the night guard that remains from the building’s bank days. Just outside that bathroom was an old water pump that connects to an old water fountain on the main floor.

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The building’s original furnace is still there, as is the area where the coal was loaded into the building.

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In addition to a vault on the main floor, a second vault is in the basement. Eckman said that’s where the bank likely kept most of its capital.

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The basement is huge, and I think one could get a little lost down there with the small side spaces.

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Eckman talked about the placement of old doors and windows, where they fall under the main floor or opened up outside and their functions to the building, such as providing light or access for deliveries.

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Part of the basement is currently being used to store miscellaneous items, like art and Eckman’s geological finds collected from the western side of the U.S.

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Maybe at some point Eckman and Mathews can offer group tours of the basement. It’s pretty neat to see.

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Back to the books

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Back on the main floor, books are piled on top of the new shelving tables placed throughout the room.

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After Betz left for another appointment, Eckman told me that he, Mathews and the volunteers that stop by to help have been cleaning books.

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In my mind, that meant dusting each book on all sides with a cloth, but it’s a bit more detailed than that. I got a glimpse into how the pros do it.

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The pages are sanded (sanded!) with a very fine grit.

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Eckman said that the pages are technically wood. If you press the pages together, as if clamped or in a vice, sanding the pages will remove the dust and stains that aren’t too deep.

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Glossy covers and dust covers are cleaned with rubbing alcohol, which also helps remove old labels and sticky residue.

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I learned something new and can’t wait to try this on my own books.

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Eckman also showed me that some of the used books already had prices written on them. He doesn’t immediately remove these and uses that info to help price books without having to look up the value of each one.

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Once books are cleaned and priced to sell, they are sorted into their sections by genre. Many of them haven’t gotten to that point yet.

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Ready or not, I managed to sneak some looks at some of the titles. If I didn’t have to get back to the office, I would probably still be there now.

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Eckman even invited me to stop by anytime I’m free to hang out and help.

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He received many calls from folks who wanted to volunteer their time to help get the store ready for opening. Volunteers are usually there during the afternoons from 1-4 p.m.

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Eckman said that they also had people interested in jobs. His initial thinking was that once the store opened, he’d be there working on his own each day.

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I told him that with all of the interest, he couldn’t work solo even if he wanted to. I’m definitely not the only one who can’t wait for Belleville Books to open.

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If anyone is interested in volunteering some time, reach out to Belleville Books via the Facebook page or call 618-744-7323.

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And keep an eye on the Facebook page, and bnd.com, for that opening date.

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This story was originally published June 24, 2024, 5:30 am.