Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
1 Nov 2011
Cafe a great new addition to the Mustard Sedd Bookshop
Tomorrow night, Lidcombe's revamped, expanded and updated Mustard Seed Bookshop will reopen after six weeks of intensive renovations.
The new-look store not only has better displays and more than double the space for its wide selection of religious books and products, but now boasts its own coffee shop where patrons can browse, before joining friends for a light snack and a latte or cappuccino.
To celebrate the reopening of the Archdiocese of Sydney's popular not-for-profit bookstore, there will be a special blessing by Bishop Julian Porteous, Sydney's Episcopal Vicar of Evangelisation and Renewal.
Attending the reopening and blessing ceremony will be staff from Lidcombe's Catholic Adult Education Centre ceremony along with Director of Catholic Adult Education for the Archdiocese, Thomas Waugh. Mr Waugh's admired predecessor, former director, Father John Flader will also be there.
Extra space has enabled the Mustard Seed
Bookshop to double its stock
An open invitation is also extended to those across the city who would like to attend the official reopening and blessing by Bishop Porteous tomorrow night. The evening, which begins at 7pm, is also a great opportunity for Sydney booklovers to be among the first to inspect the airy, modern and expanded premises, the eye catching displays and the big increase in stock.
"With the renovations we have been able to more than double the number of books we carry," says Jesse Mansour, the Mustard Seed Bookshop's manager. "The renovations and expansion represent the next natural stage of the growth of our business."
Mr Mansour says at the Mustard Seed became more and more popular, it outgrew its old premises and urgently needed to expand.
The store, however, never closed during the six weeks renovations were carried out. Instead, he explains, the bookshop was simply relocated to a different area of the CAE Centre.
In addition to the enlarged spacious store and additional floor space, Mr Mansour says the Mustard Seed is currently developing a website specialising in local Catholic authors which will enable their works to be downloaded from the site so they can be read as e-books on IPads, Kindles and similar products.
Digital books are increasingly popular with US trade journal, Publishers Weekly reporting this week that Bible apps in America are now more frequently downloaded than internet games and describes the trend as a "digital Bible explosion."
Computers, the internet and a coffee shop all part of
the revamped state of the art bookshop
One of the most in demand Bible apps in the US is YouVersion, contains more than 150 different Bible translations in 45 different languages.
"The Bible in book form has always been one of our biggest sellers," Mr Mansour says and is unsurprised by the surge in popularity for those wishing to also read the Bible in digital form on devices such as IPads.
As more and more people invest Ipads and similar devices, he believes the faithful will opt for two versions of the Bible - one in book form that they can touch and hold, and a light portable e-version they can carry around with them.
"This is an exciting time in publishing," he says and is delighted the Mustard Seed Bookshop is abreast of these times with its state of the art revamp and plans for expansion into digital books.
All are welcome to attend tomorrow night's blessing and official reopening of the Mustard Seed Bookshop by Bishop Porteous. The ceremony and blessing begins inside the store 7 pm, Wednesday 2 November at the Catholic Adult Education Centre at 3 Keating Street, Lidcombe.
The Mustard Seed Bookshop has a brand
new look and lots more space
To find out more or to RSVP, contact Maree on 9646 9000 or emailinfo@caec.com.au
h\ttp://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/news/latest_news/2011/2011111_19.shtml
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