I’m not sure exactly when it happened but at some point I fell in love with reading about all things business and technology as a young adult. As you can imagine, this was the pre-Internet era when knowledge was gleaned primarily from newspapers, magazines, radio, television and most importantly, books. This was before Amazon.com happened and if you needed access to new books in Kenya this meant going to a well stocked library, or a good book store.

In those years, and to this very day, if you needed the best books on any genre or subject matter, you would invariably need to make a pilgrimage to probably Kenya’s best book store being Bookstop located at Nairobi’s Yaya Center. I can remember quite vividly as far back as 30 years ago that going to Bookstop was like entering a mythical world where books of nearly every kind were carefully curated and showcased for your reading pleasure. Walking in was always mesmerizing as the latest and oldest books on anything and everything you would want to read about would be available. You would saunter into that unmistakable scent, a melange of old and new books, that would instantly intoxicate and transport you to an otherworldly place.

However, the other aspect of this nostalgic experience was talking to Bookstop’s owner, the oracle of all things books, Mr. Chan. He would be on hand to welcome come you and guide you on whatever you may want to buy at Bookstop. He seemed to know everything about the books on the many shelves at Bookstop which suggested he had actually read a good number of them himself! If you were torn between buying several books, or single one with a limited budget, he would help you figure out which one(s) you should buy and even hold others for you for weeks, or even months, until you could come back for them.

Earlier this week, I happened to be at the much changed Yaya Center’s (Yaya) upper levels after a few years and more out of pure blind luck, rather than any kind of intention, I found myself at Bookstop. I was genuinely surprised to turn a corner and there it was, almost unchanged from what I could remember. I was delighted and decided to take a few photos and walked in only to find Mr. Chan there, as he has always been, behind the counter. Yes, he has aged gracefully from the way I remembered him but as usual, his welcome was warm and kind, ready to be of service.

I caught up with Mr. Chan briefly and reminded him that I was a regular there over the years and the many books I acquired with his unwavering and sage-like guidance each time. Indeed, its been 15+ years since I last visited Bookstop but just walking in there this week almost felt like entering a time machine that transported you back to a past when the Internet did not even exist in Kenya and you stood at the centre of a much loved wellspring of knowledge. The unmistakable smell of books during my visit to Bookstop was once again both nostalgic, and fresh, instantly rekindling so many pleasant memories.

In today’s digital-first reality, the Internet has irrevocably changed how we find and consume knowledge of any kind via smartphones, tablets, computers, and anything else that has a connection. Reading books can be done on a myriad of devices and we also listen to audiobooks and podcasts as yet another way of consuming content. In a nutshell, consumer behaviour has changed irrevocably as far as printed books, magazines, and newspapers are concerned at the expense of how these used to be the mainstays of our news, information, entertainment, and education.

In visiting Bookstop, I was reminded how books are so irreplaceable and timeless that sometimes we need to go back to the past to truly appreciate how magical they have always been — from feeling the heft of a good book in your hands, to turning its pages, and taking in the distinctive aromas of paper and print. From this perspective, places like Bookstop, and curators like Mr. Chan, need to be treasured and protected so that we can all truly appreciate the eternal value of a great book for all the seasons of the past, present, and future.