After a bit of a rough year, Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park recently celebrated its 51st anniversary as one of the great independent bookstores in the area - a dying breed as you well know. We got Clark Kepler to take some time out and answer a few of our most burning questions:

For any readers who might not know, tell us why Kepler's is so awesome.

For me and many others who've been around for a while, growing up in the bookstore was awesome. Kepler's and the peninsula had a very different feel in the '60s. As a kid, I ran around the stacks in bare feet amidst rows of paperbacks with incredible cover art -- Doc Savage was particularly fetching. The bookstore was a meeting place for free thinkers, peace activists, students, professors and just plain folk. Today's Kepler's has a different feel, less of the literary rebel feel, but still maintains the values and charms of the old Kepler's. We have a very thoughtful selection, well presented and in touch with our community. We're blessed to have a great neighbor in Café Borrone that makes a great symbiotic experience. Our staff is passionate about books and love to engage with our customers.

What role has Kepler’s played in the community throughout its history and what role does it intend to play in the future?

Kepler's has always played an active part of our community. We believe in giving back to our community. We actively participate in improving the life of our community. We give abundantly to local schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations. We encourage our staff to participate in community service. We’re here to stay.

Why should we patronize independent bookstores over the big chains? They have comfortable chairs where we can read our Oprah’s Book Club selection. Who wouldn’t want that?

I don't know that "everyone should shop at independents only" is a realistic expectation; "everyone should be able to" is preferable to me. A bookstore should be a great place to browse and shop. Coming to Kepler’s is a positive and enjoyable experience for our customers. We surround our customers with great books, great energy and great experiences. We provide a dazzling environment for our customers and staff.

Growing up, did you always know you’d take over the store? Were you prepared for it?

Yes and no. No.

As a kid I felt that the bookstore was part of the family; that I’d grow up in it and be part of running it one day. As a 20 year old young man in school I wanted independence and “to save the world” in some abstract sense, so when my dad first asked me to take over the business I declined. When he became ill with Parkinson’s disease and put the bookstore up for sale, I decided that the part of the world that I really could save was Kepler’s. I was completely unprepared for the job other than having a love and respect for books. Fortunately, there was a terrific bunch of people in the bookstore who helped me early on.

What do you think your dad would think of where Kepler’s is right now and what’s gone on this past year?

Dad was a political activist who believed in people’s rights and abilities to think and act for themselves. That our community came together when Kepler’s closed and through “people power” helped us to re-open would have reaffirmed his beliefs and made him proud.

As we were coming up with these questions, we learned that Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books is for sale. Can independent bookstores as whole continue to survive and, if so, for what reasons? How does your side of the industry need to change to keep up with what consumers want?

Independent bookstores (and independent retail merchants!) can survive, as long as the reading public want us and make conscious decisions with their purchasing power. Our job is to make the shopping experience inviting and viable.

We love the Kepler’s magazine section particularly because we have a nice, short attention-span – what’s your favorite section of the store?

The back wall of fiction! It's filled with some of the best books ever published.

Will Keplers.com have online ordering again? Because, seriously, we sometimes get bored at work and want to buy things and if we could buy books online and pick them up as we walk by on our way home from the office, you’d probably get at least $100 a week out of us. And we’re sure other people must ask this question!

Yes. We are working on this and expect to be able to launch it by the fall. We’ve held off on selling on-line after re-opening because we want to do it right. I’ll have your house account set up with a $5,200 credit limit!

Our interview editor, Emily, wants to know how often you eat at Café Borrone and what your favorite thing is on their menu. We saw the owner looking a little pale and shaken at the rally, he must be glad you’re staying.

The Borrone family is great and we’re blessed to have them as a neighbor. I don’t eat there as often as I deserve (who could?). I like the chicken salad sandwich on toasted raisin bread and order it frequently. I love the frosted mochas and never order them anymore because I don’t deserve them.

Any good author visit gossip? We’ve made fools of ourselves in front of Nigella Lawson (twice! She’s just so pretty we lose our minds) and Anthony Bourdain. David Sedaris got us to start smoking! Who do you have up your sleeve this year?

We're booking our fall season now and have some confirmations -- Isabel Allende, Thomas Cahill and many more already confirmed. Check Keplers.com for the latest!

There was lots of hoopla around the 50th anniversary celebration last year, but does this year’s 51st feel even better because of what’s gone on in the past year?

Yes, last year was challenging in many ways and while we are not out of the woods yet, we are in a much better position with our vendors and we’re getting new ideas

Do you think the arrangements that you made to keep Kepler’s open are sustainable in the long-run? Will it be around another 50 years or will other things have to happen to keep it going?

We have entered into a grand experience with our investors and membership program. I don't know of another model like it in the book business. Its sustainability rests on the same answer to the question, can a bricks-and-mortar bookstore remain viable? There are innumerable opportunities out there, we need to keep finding the right answers.

How many of the former employees were able to come back to work? Have you been hiring new staff? We don’t mind waiting in line so much as we think its totally evil of you to put that Bargain Books table right there to tempt us!

After re-opening, we were able to re-hire about 60% of the staff. It was really rough in September when I was working to re-open to reach out to them and say something like, "Don't get another job because I'm going to re-open". It amazes me that so many were able to return. I'm grateful for that. Yes, we've hired more staff, but the staff remains smaller than it was when we closed. Sorry, for the wait in line. That is a issue that we have worked hard to fix.

Name – Clark Kepler

Age and Occupation – 47 bookseller

Home Town – Menlo Park

What I'm currently Reading - The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, coming out in the fall. He's hilarious. The Long Tail by Chris Anderson describes the phenomenon that brick and mortar store face.