Profile written by Janis Shaw
WISENET Journal No. 15, May 1988, p. 22
February this year marked the first anniversary of a very successful venture, that is, the Botanical Bookshop at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra - a very special project for Amy Pryor and Barbara Watson. It is an exercise in co-operation and a challenging extension of the interests of these women.
Amy and Barbara have been friends and colleagues for a long time. Since 1975 they have had a close working association as part-time lecturers and tutors in Biology and Health Education at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. They were each looking for further challenges and new ways in which to develop their interest when DASETT (Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories) called for tenders for a bookshop to be established at the Botanic Gardens Information Centre. The natural interests in books and biology held by Amy and Barbara, plus the mutual support they had for each other, inspired them to apply for the three-year lease.
The venture has been a great learning experience for its proprietors, and they have been especially fortunate to have the valuable assistance of Jo Tippets. Jo has had broad experience in book retailing as S.E. Area Manager of the Co-operative Bookshops and hence brought a wealth of experience to the assignment.
With Jo's help, Amy and Barbara have learned how to run a bookshop and about the seasonal nature of book-selling which, for them, is partly tied to the flowering of the plants at the gardens. During the recent May Gibbs Exhibition they were very busy indeed!
A broad range of people visit the gardens, and stocks at the bookshop cater to this variety. There are strictly botanical works, such as field guides, more practical "how-to grow" books, a good generalist range of titles on natural history and the environment, as well as some delightful children's books, including May Gibbs and The Gould League. Visitors may also be tempted by magazines, seed packages and a range of good quality gift items. Indeed, it would show extreme will-power to come away from this bookshop empty-handed!
The operating philosophy for the Botanic Bookshop is that of the Gardens - to promote native flora. Through their ability to choose their stock appropriately, Amy and Barbara are also fulfilling an educational role for their public. But it is the personal philosophy of these women that makes the endeavour so worthwhile. A wish to share their love of the natural environment, linking people with the gardens, is the essence of their success. There is a genuine pleasure here in providing a specialized service, tracking down and stocking books unavailable elsewhere in the city.
Amy and Barbara continue to combine their teaching careers with the operation of the new bookshop. That the bookshop is open every day of the year, except Christmas, is a credit not only to organisational skill but to the flexibility, ease and co-operation between the women. It is very gratifying to witness the success and satisfaction that Amy and Barbara have received in return.