Get your read on

While college is virtually defined by the amount of reading involved in the experience, students have had alarmingly few options to choose from when searching for places to get books for leisure reading.

However, an alternative bookstore opened Monday in the heart of the USF community.

Located on Fowler Avenue next to the Chipotle restaurant, Mojo Books and Music (www.mojotampa.com) provides the student body with a wide variety of new and used books, encompassing everything from classic literature to new releases. The store aims to fill in the gap left by the departure of Just Books on Fletcher. In fact, the store’s closing played a direct role in the creation of Mojo.

“When we saw Just Books close down, we realized that there aren’t really many bookstores in the area,” said Melanie Cade, Mojo’s owner and a graduate student in business.

After years of selling books on campus at the Bull Market on Wednesdays and then briefly online, Cade began a search for adequate property near the University.

“We’re not just a stodgy used bookstore,” Cade said. “We’re much more modern.”

Unlike many local used bookstores that preceded it, Mojo does not focus its entire inventory on books. While the store carries an extensive collection of books, it also offers new and used CDs, DVDs and LPs. In providing such a wide range of products, Mojo hopes to create a more upbeat and modern atmosphere than its forebears, thus catering specifically to the student body.

Cade said she hopes to capitalize on the flurry of activity on campus by opening the store during the first week of classes.

“We were originally planning to open in November or December, but we decided to push it back until the beginning of the semester,” Cade said.

Mojo’s is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, Cade said the schedule is subject to change as the store gauges customer interest. If the demand is present, Mojo may extend its hours to accommodate students’ schedules.

For now, Mojo is allowing its customer base to build gradually as the store increases its inventory and develops its newly-acquired property. While no grand-opening celebration is scheduled, Cade said one is likely to take place within the next few weeks once the store has had time to fill up the remaining space.

Although Mojo is only 75 percent stocked, talk of the store is already growing as more students discover its addition to the USF area.

Mojo Books and Music is located at:2558 E. Fowler Ave.(813) 971-9717