In February Williams, with partners Justin Krewatch, Kevin Shaw and Todd Harrison, opened a 20,000-square-foot facility in a former Staples store, which has plenty of room for their inventory of 70,000 used volumes.

Instead of shelving, most of the books are spread out on tables, in rough alphabetical order. You'll find all the As piled up together, but you might not find someone to answer the phone and say whether a particular book is in stock. In fact, early this week the store didn't have a phone, though it does list a telephone number on its website, www.booksbythepound.com/

Said Williams, “We’re in the process of putting in an answering system.”

Williams said his books come from his regular sources, though he and his partners expect to acquire an increasing percentage of their books from customers, as trade-ins for store credit.

Books are sold on a sliding scale: the first three pounds are $3.99 a pound; the next five pounds will cost $2.99 a pound; after that books are $1.99 a pound.

Media is priced differently: at $5.99 for a boxed set, $4.99 per game, $3.99 for a Blu-ray disc, $2.99 per DVD, and $1.99 a compact disc.

“It’s like the book sale that never ends,” said Williams. “This has been a wonderful experience so far, much more fun than I ever anticipated.”

Books by the Pound is at 860 Duluth Highway near the intersection of Hwy 120 and 316. Information: www.booksbythepound.com/