I think that the nicest bookstore workers I have ever met have been at the university bookstore. When I solicited their help in finding a textbook for a class (when it was about a foot away from me) and then attemped to pay for it (without any money), the bookstore attendant was friendly nonetheless and even replaced the used book with a another one that was less tattered while I put it on hold.
They also have an amazing fiction section and a literary theory section over which you will drool. The atmosphere there is great, too. Nice for reading.
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