On a recent rainy afternoon, the Book Cellar, a bookstore in the basement of Mt. Lebanon Public Library, was bustling.

Visitors could pick up a cup of coffee and browse the shelves stocked with classic novels such as James Joyce' "Ulysses" as well as newer reads such as Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."

They could chat with two volunteers who were knitting at the front table or head to the back of the store and donate their own books to Petra Fey, a woman whose first encounter with the upstairs library was "love at first sight," she said.

Mrs. Fey is a nearly ubiquitous presence around the tiny shop. In her native Germany, she ran two bookstores and a library, so when she and her husband moved to Mt. Lebanon in February 2007, she immediately became involved with the public library.

The idea of having a bookstore in the same building as the library occurred to Mrs. Fey, and a quick Internet search revealed the idea had been executed in many libraries around the country. So last December, she launched the bookstore. Book donations were sought, volunteers corralled and shelves constructed.

Today, the Book Cellar is celebrating its one-year anniversary. It can boast thousands of books donated and sold, with about $130 collected every business day from sales and 110 volunteers who work in the store each month.

In its first year, the Book Cellar has raised nearly $50,000, which will help the library during a time of funding cuts, said Cynthia K. Richey, director of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

The Book Cellar's anniversary, which will be marked tonight by an open house with food and drink, celebrates "not just that we made it a whole year, but that we are here to stay," Mrs. Fey said.

The bookstore has become a gathering place for the community, Ms. Richey said. "It's been a fantastic contribution. It's a wonderful social venture because it benefits the community while supporting the library."

On a recent weekday afternoon, people browsed though the store. Mrs. Fey sat in a cream-colored leather armchair next to a faux fireplace in the nonfiction room of the bookstore, holding a cup of coffee. Most libraries prohibit food and drink. Here, refreshments are encouraged, with candy for sale and a coffee machine near the front table.

Simone Geuer, founder of The Fine Palate, is the Book Cellar's caterer and will provide food for tonight's anniversary celebration. Patrons also can sip glogg, a nonalcoholic mulled wine that Mrs. Fey said is popular in Europe.

In recent months, the Book Cellar has staked out its place in cyberspace. Volunteers operate eBay and Amazon accounts to sell donated books to a broader audience. Even the volunteer sign-up process is through an online system, Mrs. Fey said.

Bookstores are unique businesses, Mrs. Fey said, because customers interact with those who run the store, asking about books they'd like to read or talking about a book they have just finished. "People come here to chat."

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