Yesterday’s Books in Modesto is providing a wide selection of used, out-of-print and new books for people to enjoy. Opened since 1980, it provides a great way for students at Stanislaus State as well as college students in general to utilize the bookstore. It offers plenty of books required for college courses and GE courses.

Upon first walking into the store, customers are welcomed by a warm, vintage ambience as many books await to be browsed. Some of Yesterday’s customers include those who are attending college, in which they are able to find books namely for G.E. courses, such as humanities, philosophy, English and more. However, textbooks are not sold at the store due to the consistent new editions.

Hilary Bowman, a student at Modesto Junior College (MJC) finds the store to be quite helpful when looking for books for courses.

“My major is English-to-transfer, so most books I am assigned to read are well-known and easy to find. However, sometimes they sell out quickly in used bookstores because of high student demand,” Bowman explained.

“Used bookstores are my go-to when finding novels I need for school,” said Bowman. “It’s more sustainable to buy a used book than a brand new one and I usually only buy a brand new book if I deeply care about the quality of its appearance.”

The bookstore has proven to be helpful for Stan State students, as well. Emily Siemons (alumna, Art) works at the store and explained that college students tend to find the store to be useful to find books for classes.

“I would say that we get a couple students coming in every so often looking for books for class,” said Siemons. “I think it might depend on the student like what specifically the area they’re focused in. In general, though, we do have a good selection for G.E.”

DJ Gong, another employee who is currently training as a book buyer, is a UC Santa Cruz alumnus with a degree in literature. Although he visited the bookstores that Santa Cruz has to offer during college , he frequently visited Yesterday’s Books as he felt they had more to offer for books.

“I still did some of my shopping here just because I like this store and I knew they could get me the things that I wanted,” explained Gong.

Joseph Lopez, the manager of Yesterday’s Books and former Modesto Junior College (MJC) student, shared his thoughts regarding used bookstores.

“From my experience, they can be helpful for novels and assigned reading for classrooms,” Lopez said. “There’s also a vast amount of information at our [Yesterday’s Books] local used bookstore. While we may not have a textbook on a certain subject, we might have a nonfiction book on a different subject.”

Yesterday’s Books not only provides a reliable resource for assigned readings and college courses, but it serves as a good experience for the people who work there.

“I love the atmosphere, I love just being able to see the books coming in as a [book] buyer, I do enjoy seeing what comes in,” said Lopez. “It’s always a big surprise.”

Book buyers will look through the books that customers trade in for store credit. This can be done by appointment with a limit of 35 books. Book buyers seek used books that are in good condition. The process depends on the types of books, however. A $10 paperback provides 20% in store credit. Trade size paperbacks provide $3 in store credit. All genres are accepted except for magazines, encyclopedias, erotica, CDs and coffee table books.

While the main attraction of books comes as an enjoyment, conversing with customers and forming a friendly and helpful atmosphere is also an important aspect.

“One of my favorite parts about working at this bookstore is being able to talk to complete strangers about something that we have in common: books,” Gong said.

Since Yesterday’s Books offers quite a lot of information and a wide range of genres, it succeeds in attracting people from afar. People from other parts of Stanislaus County, the state, out of state, and even from other countries will visit the store.

“Because of this store, I have now personally seen every ID from every state,” Gong said. “I’ve seen ID’s from Mexico, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, Germany, the UK.”

Showing an ID is now no longer required for purchases under $100, and while customers from across the globe make up a small percentage for the store, it is still an impressive factor.
Yesterday’s Books was founded in 1980 by Larry and Kathleen Dorman. In 2008, the store was purchased by Paula Kiss who is the current owner. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is located at 3457 McHenry Ave in Modesto.