The Kind of Folks I Work For

This article appeared in The Davis Enterprise this evening, written by Emily Mibach

(Note the "customer" at the back of the store...)

Downtown Davis’ beloved used bookstore, Logos Books, is not your typical book seller. Unless a typical store donates $35,000 to Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.

Susan and Peter Linz opened Logos Books, 513 Second St., in February 2010, specializing in used and out-of-print books. But they’re not in business to make money; instead, they donate proceeds from the business to the two international charities.

Peter is a UC Davis emeritus professor of math and computer science who ran an online used book business for about 10 years before opening the storefront.

“People don’t realize it’s not for profit, that’s why I put the sign in the window,” Susan said.

Logos was featured in the current issue of Doctors Without Borders’ magazine, Alert, because of its generous gifts to the two organizations.

The Linzes have been donating to Doctors and Save the Children since the store opened. In 2010, they gave $10,000, and in 2011 they donated $22,000.

“Peter chose these two charities very carefully: First, because they have an excellent reputation for using the money donated on the people and projects it is earmarked for, rather than on administrative costs,” Susan said. “Second, because we feel that there are people in so many places in the world who are desperately in need of help and that these agencies minister to them most effectively.”

“It’s going up every year,” Peter added.

The $35,000 is what the couple collected after paying rent, utilities and their one employee — an assistant manager who oversees the store and assists the volunteers when the Linzes are gone.

Volunteers staff the store on weekends, when the couple are at book sales getting new inventory and restocking their shelves.

“I really want to underline the volunteers, they’re so great,” Susan said.

Logos hosts Second Friday ArtAbout receptions, poetry readings and monthly meetings of its Spanish and French conversation groups, El Círculo Español and La Table Française.

El Círculo Español meets from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the third Monday and La Table Française meets from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday. Check logosbooks.wordpress.com for topic information.

The couple said their lease on the current Second Street location is up on Feb. 1 and they are searching for a new home for the store.

“We don’t know yet how long we are going to stay in our current location,” Susan said. “But if we are to re-establish at another location, we have to start looking now. If we find a suitable location, we may indeed move before February.

“We feel like we contribute to the downtown Davis life,” she added.

Said Peter, “We’re the only used bookstore in downtown Davis.”

Local residents who know of a space that might be able to accommodate Logos are asked to contact the Linzes at logosusedbooks@gmail.com.