An old dairy barn is transformed into a book lover's paradise

Denville, New Jersey -- "There are no words to describe the power of reading," says Janis Amodeo, working the numerous and tall shelves in an old dairy barn in North Jersey.

She would know. Janis serves as the vice president and floor manager of the Book Barn and its sister shop, the Bargain Barn, two stores with a lot of inventory and word of mouth making them very popular.

"I grew up with books," Janis explains. "So, as a little kid, I was always reading something and of course, we had to go to libraries. Back then, books were not as readily available."

She is part of an all-volunteer staff, who work curating, presenting, and offering all sorts of help to the bibliophiles who flock to the old barn. Some coming from many states away on this day.

"We're all volunteers," Janis says. "By luck, must of us were book lovers that would come in and shop, and eventually we were asked to work here. Most of us are retirees."

The building used to be an old dairy barn, built in the late 1800s, supporting the local hospitals and nuns on the property. It became a thrift store in the late 1970s and has since blossomed into a gigantic, cavernous warehouse for all things books, records, electronics, board games, movies and more.

Janis was an educator before she retired. She loves seeing younger and younger people coming in exploring, finding, and buying their next big read.

The staff especially loves getting donations.

"Everything is donated. So, people donate books, we sell them, and we give 100% of the money we take in out to people in need, except for paying our utilities of course."

The dairy barn no longer houses cows getting milked, but early American farm life and numerous other topics are on display as part of the hundreds of thousands of books on offer, a never-ending maze housing a million stories.

To find out more please visit them at https://www.thebookbarn.org