Librería Romo

When you think about your business, what are you most proud of?

The astonished look on some peoples faces when they enter makes me realise that it is a special place, although perhaps for me, being used to it, it seems quite normal, but I must admit that it is beautiful, or so I try to :)
To be able to enjoy certain editions for a limited time is a real pleasure for me.

What is the history of your commerce?

La Librería was founded in 1987 by Mariano Romo. It is located in the area of La Latina and the Rastro in Madrid, where Mariano started with a small stall on Sundays in the early 80s until a few years later he decided to rent a small shop in Calle del Carnero, where a man who sold and repaired old sewing machines was retiring. After Marianos retirement, his daughter Patricia is in charge of the bookshop.

What is your professional experience?

I grew up among books, I am an only child and I played alone a lot when I was little, it is funny but I remember myself selling my stories and books to invisible customers, other children have invisible friends and I sold books to invisible customers hehe. Although as a teenager I did not like it at all when my father sometimes sent me to go to a fair, but I think my subconscious had already warned me of my path long before that other rebellious time.
When my father had a health problem that made it impossible for him to work, I had to become self-employed, there were not many other options if we wanted the bookshop not to disappear. And here I am, hanging on as best I can!

How has covid 19 affected your business?

We had to close down during the state of emergency, like all non-essential businesses. Although I kept the online trade going, which was not much but it helped a bit. Then we started to open since they allowed us to do so, especially in the morning, as the area has been much lonelier since then. Few neighbours and no tourists, few sales. And the expenses (which are starting to happen again) are high. With the flea market closed many people dont come thinking that there is nothing open in the area ..., in fact around me many shops have closed because they cant afford the rents, but there are still many survivors trying every day (in my case except Mondays). The situation is a bit scary. We are regulars at old and antiquarian book fairs which have also been cancelled this year.... (Anyway ..., I get depressed just writing about it hahaha).

What services and products does your business provide?

We buy and sell old and antique books, rare, curious... Librería Anticuaria or Librería de Lance as these bubbles of time are usually called. We also have a section of old engravings and maps and everything related to paper collecting. We are on the internet with a wide catalogue of books of all subjects and periods, out of print, current second hand and antique (basically my work since all this started is focused on cataloguing and uploading to the networks everything we thought of taking to those cancelled book fairs, without customers on the street I can do little more to avoid going crazy) and I also try to work the social networks (Facebook and Instagram).