Where? Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Recommended by: Hartger Wassink, Nijmegen
Hartger said: "I'd like to propose Boekhandel Roelants in Nijmegen to be mentioned on your site. It is a fine, independent (one of the last in the Netherlands) bookstore (two stores actually, a few 100 metres from each other), with a rich supply of English books, new and antiquarian. Of course, the main inventory are Dutch books, however, Wouter Roelants (the owner) specializes in antiquarian art books, mostly in English. It's really worth a visit for art book lovers. He also regularly has good antiquarian English fiction and non-fiction from renowned publishers."
Success stories of Dutch international booksellers are becoming less and less frequent. One of the main reasons responsible for this sad trend is depicted in more detail in one of our article features - Independent Booksellers and the Fixed Book Price: a Horror Story? However, there are still numerous examples proving that respected and popular indie bookstores can still compete with the giants and the story of Boekhandel Roelants can serve as an inspiration. This bookstore was formerly known as Oude Mol (Old Mole) and it has stuck with the old logo even after changing the name to Roelants. When Wouter Roelants took over Oude Mol in the 1990s, it was the beginning of a new era marked by several crucial changes.
In 2009 the owner of the bookstore Mr. Roelants decided to realize a bold move and Boekhandel Roelants underwent a complete reconstruction, which resulted in increased size of the shop. With their main store temporarily closed ,a second store has been opened in the premises of the LUX center as of March 2009. This back-up location proved to be so successful, that it stayed in business even after the main store at Van Broeckhuysenstraat 34 reopened and offered its new looks.
Since Boekhandel Roelants is not a specialized English-language bookstore, the majority of its stock is in Dutch. However, a decent selection of new books in English is available as well and many titles in English can be found in the antiquarian section. This section, housed in the spacious basement, is probably the most interesting part of Boekhandel Roelants, especially when it comes to foreign titles. One small reproach - although the bookstore's website seems well maintained, informative and updated regularly, we were a bit disappointed to discover that the content was available solely in Dutch.
Success stories of Dutch international booksellers are becoming less and less frequent. One of the main reasons responsible for this sad trend is depicted in more detail in one of our article features - Independent Booksellers and the Fixed Book Price: a Horror Story? However, there are still numerous examples proving that respected and popular indie bookstores can still compete with the giants and the story of Boekhandel Roelants can serve as an inspiration. This bookstore was formerly known as Oude Mol (Old Mole) and it has stuck with the old logo even after changing the name to Roelants. When Wouter Roelants took over Oude Mol in the 1990s, it was the beginning of a new era marked by several crucial changes.
In 2009 the owner of the bookstore Mr. Roelants decided to realize a bold move and Boekhandel Roelants underwent a complete reconstruction, which resulted in increased size of the shop. With their main store temporarily closed ,a second store has been opened in the premises of the LUX center as of March 2009. This back-up location proved to be so successful, that it stayed in business even after the main store at Van Broeckhuysenstraat 34 reopened and offered its new looks.
Since Boekhandel Roelants is not a specialized English-language bookstore, the majority of its stock is in Dutch. However, a decent selection of new books in English is available as well and many titles in English can be found in the antiquarian section. This section, housed in the spacious basement, is probably the most interesting part of Boekhandel Roelants, especially when it comes to foreign titles. One small reproach - although the bookstore's website seems well maintained, informative and updated regularly, we were a bit disappointed to discover that the content was available solely in Dutch.
Boekhandel RoelantsAddress:
Van Broeckhuysenstraat 34
Nijmegen, NL-6511 PJ
Website: http://www.roelants.nl
Phone and Email:
024-3221734
roelants@roelants.nl
Working Hours:
Mon 13-18
Tue-Fri 9:30-18
Sat 9-17
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