by Pete Mazzaccaro

This holiday season it’s tough not to rely on old, faithful Amazon for your gift shopping. Pop open the app on your phone or open the site up on your laptop and, as you click, the company will line up packages for swift delivery to your front porch.

Local book shop owner Matt Duques (he lives in Chestnut Hill and his book shop is in University City) has, perhaps an even quicker, more convenient and definitely greener solution for book buying. If you order a book from his shop, People’s Books and Culture, formerly the Penn Book Center at 130 S. 34th St., he’ll deliver it to your home by bicycle.

“I got an email from a parent of a child at my daughter’s school,” Matt said of how the idea came to him. “She lives in Chestnut Hill and had read about the store and wanted to support it. She placed an order and as I was getting ready to bike to the shop downtown, I decided to stop by and deliver the books to her. I thought it was fun.”

Duques, who qualifies as a cycle enthusiast for the simple fact that he commutes at least three times a week to University City by bike, said he is more than happy to do the same for other people who patronize his shop.

“I know lots of people here who are avid readers and who have been talking about getting a book store here,” he said. “So I thought well, you know, that'd be kind of fun to meet someone people in the area and also bring them some books if they want.”

Duques said that anyone in the area interested in ordering books can call the shop at 215-222-7600 to order and have it delivered to their door free of charge. His shop will even gift wrap the book if asked.

While Amazon has certainly posed a challenge to Duques, he said his shop is doing relatively well, in no small part to the fact that it has a 57-year history in the neighborhood. He recently finished a rebranding of the shop – from Penn Book Center to People’s Books and Culture – with input from long time customers of the shop and nearby residents.

Duques said he is also looking for space in Chestnut Hill for a bookstore but has yet to find a suitable spot.

“Rent is one issue, but it’s really about the space,” He said. “We need to find the right space that really fosters the imagination and can have the same effect on the neighborhood that the old Borders did.”

It’s not just a place to buy books, but also to meet, to hang out, read and even host events. In the meantime, Duques said he’s committed to doing what he can to meet the book buying needs of Chestnut Hill, even if it means delivering them by bicycle.

“I’ll keep doing this until we get a bookstore here,” he said.

Pete Mazzaccaro can be reached at 215-248-8802 or pete@chestnuthilllocal.com