Weren’t books supposed to be on their way out, just like CDs and DVDs and AOL accounts? If they were, you’d never know it from Wednesday’s grand opening of Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the Monte Vista Crossings shopping center.

About 400 people crowded in a line more than 100 yards long when the store officially opened at 9 a.m. Once the doors opened, that number continued to grow. The checkout line meandered through book aisles all the way to the back of the store, with customers – most of whom were carrying a stack of books – waiting more than an hour to pay for their items.

“Based on what we were seeing on social media, we expected a huge turnout today,” said Jeremiah Ward, who has worked for Barnes & Noble for 17 years and is in charge of a cluster of stores from as far north as Sacramento and is now based in Turlock. “But this exceeds our expectations.”

Customers started lining up in the wee hours of the morning. First in line was 23-year-old Rudolfo Betencourt of Ceres. Oddly enough, he wasn’t in line for books.

“Basically, on my days off, I hunt Pokémon,” Betencourt said. “Some of the other stores that we went to, it didn’t go as planned. So, we came over here and saw they had Pokémon in the window and decided to line up. … But there is a certain book that I want to buy.”

Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak was on hand to present Ward with a proclamation, as were field representatives for Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced), Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) and state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson). Allie Jeffery, executive director of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce, made sure the pre-opening ceremonies went off without a hitch so the doors could be opened on time.

Inside the store, booklovers milled throughout the near-20,000-square-foot store (formerly Forever 21), creating a festival-like atmosphere.

• “I go to school down at Cal State Fullerton, and I’m home for a couple of weeks,” said Vivian Parsons of Ripon. “I love a good Barnes & Noble, but I’ve never been to an opening.”
• “I’m just hanging out with friends and looking at the books,” said Aamira Day, who graduated from Turlock High last month. “I saw some that I think I’d really enjoy. But this is the grand opening, and I thought I’d come and see what it’s all about.”
• “Of course, they sell other things here, but mostly what you see in people’s arms are books,” said Ana Machado, Turlock resident and vice principal at Waterford High School. “It’s a thing of beauty. But despite all this excitement and enthusiasm for today, let’s hope that people continue to come back and make purchases so we can keep it in town.”
• “My favorite book is probably ‘Cat in the Hat’ and the Moe Williams books,” said 7-year-old Camille Perry, who sat with her mother, Herlinda, reading a copy of Marissa Valdez’s “Hedgehogs Don’t Wear Underwear.” “They’re pretty good.”

• “One of my favorite things about books is community,” said Nicole Longergan, an English teacher at Turlock High. “We haven’t had a bookstore in Turlock since Lightly Used Books closed, so it’s really awesome to see this many people come out and support literature and reading and books. I really believe that reading builds community, so having something like Barnes & Noble in Turlock is really important.”
• “I was very nervous but I’m super excited to see the turnout,” said Modesto romance novelist Meagan Brandy. “I’ve never done a local signing, and it was really special that I was invited.”
• “The turnout in the community has been incredible,” said Jenna Wihl, Barnes & Noble area manager who covers the territory from Reno to Bakersfield. “We’ve had a bigger turnout today than we’ve seen at some of our other locations, so it really speaks to the community and the passion for literacy here. It’s wonderful.”

Ward said he expects the first week – perhaps two – to be exceedingly busy before things settle into a more normal pace.

“We knew the community was going to come out in a major way,” Ward said. “But we’re humbled by the turnout today.”