A collective sigh of relief from Burien-area book lovers has mixed with the standard spring breezes of late as the news spreads that Burien Books will continue to operate under the ownership of Allison Lee-Moore.

Following the death of Virginia Pearce, who founded Burien Books and managed it for more than fifty years, Pearce's nephew Joe Wisen decided to place the shop on the market.

At the time, Wisen warned that he would have to close the bookshop if it did not sell quickly, in spite of its good reputation and loyal customer base.

Shortly after this announcement, Lee-Moore heard that Burien Books had been advertised on Craig's List. Lee-Moore had visited Burien Books regularly since the age of six, and its reasonable selling price allowed her to enter the book business.

"It was a dream that I never thought would be fulfilled," she said, noting that before the purchase she had been at loose ends in the poor job market, having just completed her master's degree in history at Western Washington University.

As owner of Burien Books, Lee-Moore plans to continue several of Pearce's traditions, including an emphasis on providing a wide variety of cook books, gardening books, children's literature, and classics.

Though she clearly admires Pearce's accomplishments with the store, Lee-Moore notes that she will introduce some "gentle modernizations," as well as increasing the shop's stock of fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and young adult literature.

Promotions will occur more frequently, and customers will have the option of joining a mailing list.

Additionally, future patrons will frequent a new location. Last week, Lee-Moore and her employees were packing books into boxes in preparation for the move to 824 SW 152nd St. in Olde Burien. They plan to close the current location on June 1st and reopen around June 21st.

Above all, Lee-Moore hopes to "keep [Burien Books] alive for local residents, not just Burien," but also for customers from the entire area.

Ultimately, she said, owning an independent bookstore is "not about making money," but instead about maintaining unique places where locals can seek intellectual and cultural enrichment.

Longtime employee Terry Titus agreed with Lee-Moore, noting, "We need the support of the community." To maintain this support, she said, Burien Books must continue "to offer something unique and personalized."

Though the inventory of the shop may seem relatively small, Lee-Moore added that staff members can special-order almost any book a customer requests, as they have access to over 5,000 publishers.

According to Titus, the store will remain "a small, intimate bookstore." Lee-Moore wouldn't have it any other way.