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The musty smell of worn books that fills the massive warehouse of Second Story Books and Antiques in Rockville brings back memories of a different era.

It's reminiscent of a time when people went to the library or a used bookstore to find a good read, instead of downloading the latest bestseller on an electronic device. The rows of stacks beckon with the prospect of a rare first edition or an out-of-print novel.

But Allan Stypeck, Poolesville resident and owner of Second Story, has sought to keep up with the times and has an online store which accounts for about 50 percent of annual sales. 

"We'll never shut down to the public," Stypeck said about Second Story's locations in Rockville and Washington, D.C. "I want to maintain a brick and mortar presence because we have a lot of good clientele."

Stypeck has 20 full-time employees who handpick the best books — which Second Story buys primarily from individuals, auctions and estates — to add to its online inventory. Stypeck estimates at least 500,000 books are in the Rockville warehouse on Parklawn Drive.

"We don't really go by numbers. We go by quality," he said.

Aside from selling rare books for several thousand dollars and new bestsellers at half-price, Second Story also has dual business as an appraisal firm.

Stypeck is a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers and occasionally acts as an expert witness in cases involving insurance claims. He has appraised collections for the Holocaust Museum, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian and universities. Currently, Stypeck is appraising the estate of Robert Ludlum, the author of popular thrillers including the Bourne Identity series. 

As for whether or not Second Story will break into the realm of e-books Stypeck said, "That's not where we want to go. We're traditionalists."

Montgomery County Public Libraries has enthusiastically entered the e-book arena.

"We have a couple different providers of electronic books, both print and audio, that you can download from our website," said Barbara Webb, Chief of Collection and Technology Management. "And we're going to be looking very closely whether we should expand our offerings."

Webb saw a 28 percent increase in MCPL's e-book circulation from last year which totaled 68,589. She estimates this percentage will increase significantly by next year.

"Montgomery County readers are very savvy. They are people by-and-large that are early adapters to technology," she said.

But although e-books might dominate the industry in a few years, Webb thinks print books will stick around.

"There is nothing more portable and easier to take to the beach than a paper book," Webb said. "I think people will be reading both for a long time."

Stypeck agrees that print books will never go out of use and isn't worried about the competition that electronic readers may pose on his business.

"It's more than taking current trends and marketing them," he said.

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Second Story Books

Warehouse/Headquarters, 12160 Parklawn Drive, Rockville. 301-770-0477

Store, 2000 P St., NW, Washington, D.C. 202-659-8884

www.secondstorybooks.com