METRO VANCOUVER — Ron Hill has a soft spot for the striking bits of heritage that dot Steveston’s landscape and lure day-trippers to the quaint Richmond village. The character-rich buildings, museum, Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Britannia shipyards, London Farm and Fisherman’s Wharf are photo ops in waiting, as is the Storybrooke set for ABC-TV’s Once Upon A Time series.

Another popular stop is the venerable Village Books and Coffee House on First Avenue, which Hill and his wife Angela own and operate. But unlike the movie folks, they don’t want to become fictional characters.

“We had a phenomenal week for coffee and book sales close to Christmas, and we just had our best month ever with gift cards, children’s books and coffee-food sales,” said Angela. “We hope this trend lasts for another 30 years.”

The Hills took over the small, but profitable bookstore business in 2011 from Ron’s parents, who ran it for 25 years in Steveston after relocating from Tsawwassen. The younger Hills planned to breathe new life into the operation.

“We grew five per cent in the first year, and 40 per cent in the second,” said Ron. “We’ve since opened a kids’ bookstore a couple doors down and expanded our new coffee shop and 49th Parallel Coffee line.

“… We also know that over 80 per cent of new coffee shops fail quickly. It’s a tough grind, so to speak, but we’re determined to do it properly. It’s a work in progress and we just keep plugging away. We definitely don’t want to be a restaurant.”

The good news for the Hills is book sales continue to grow, despite competition from easily accessible digital technology and aggressive online retailers like Amazon. They have been surprised by the double-digit growth since instituting their mostly cosmetic changes.

“People still like holding a real book, and they still like to read despite what you may hear on the news,” said Angela. “That’s good for us because we have about 30,000 books in our kids’ and main stores — and Ron has another 70,000 or so stashed in the garage at home.”

Established on Facebook and Twitter, the Hills are in the process of designing a new logo, website and marketing plan to feature their inventory, the 1,000-square-foot kids’ book store, 1,500-square-foot book and coffee house, their daily menu, and the many neighbourhood attractions. They may even rename the business.

“We’re trying to stay current and get people from Vancouver to cross over the bridge and come check us and Steveston out.

“Books are a volume-based business. We need to sell a lot of them and we need to cater to a growing customer base that has all kinds of diverse reading interests,” Ron said.

Another challenge is the growth in commercial property values due to the rejuvenation of neighbourhoods. When rents rise many small players are pushed out of the market.

“Our overall plan is to make our store your ‘third place.’ Home is number 1, work is number 2, and we want to be your number 3. With our outdoor patio in the warmer months, and hopefully a liquor licence down the road, we hope to achieve that.”

The Hills also plan to partner with a friend and open a preschool in the kids’ bookstore for children four and five years of age.

They believe their “knowledgeable, personalized and friendly” service is key to long-term success. “And not being corporate, unaffordable or overly slick like the bigger guys.”

While Ron suggested libraries offer competition for his book business, Sandra Singh of Vancouver Public Library argued there is a symbiosis in that both help “grow” readers.

“We expose people to all kinds of books and reading materials. And most library users eventually buy books. In fact, I buy as many books as I borrow,” said Singh, the chief librarian at VPL, which is the third-largest public library system in Canada.

“I personally believe book stores are essential. You should have books in your home — and many of them should be owned.”

Singh said current library borrowing “seems to echo the retail market” with 80 per cent buying traditional books and 20 per cent going for Ebooks, noting mass-market paperbacks are the big-ticket item for the digital crowd.

“In 2014, we had nine million items borrowed from VPL and almost 90 per cent was physical books. What we are seeing is that people are reading more, and reading a lot more things. Even on public transit you see people reading all the time. The platform may vary, but they’re reading and that’s encouraging.”

Vancouver Public Library stats reveal that 257,832 people used their library card in 2015 (a slight increase), while ebook and e-audio circulation was 499,891, roughly 34 per cent more than 2014.

“When we survey teens, a large number say they still prefer the physical books. Sure, they read on their phones and computers, but they like books and that’s encouraging if you own a bookstore and have been thinking about the future of that business.”

Singh added that “books are really technology. They offer an information exchange. They offer a platform for learning. I worry that a digital-only world will create a society of information haves and have-nots, and libraries need to continue to serve as an equalizer."

The Library Square Project, the largest capital project ever undertaken by the City of Vancouver, came up with a design that resembles an ancient look on the outside and modern look on the inside. On a smaller scale, the Hills have the same thing going on in Steveston.

“Our building is really inspiring,” Singh said. “People stop and take photos, they come into the library, they talk about the building. I’m thrilled that the City placed such emphasis on the library."

gkurenoff@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/ohgord

===

Click here to report a typo or visit vancouversun.com/typo.

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. CLICK HERE or go to vancouversun.com/moretothestory