The Bibliophile, a new and used independent bookstore, officially opened in downtown Dover, Ohio, on Saturday, the TimesReporter reported.
The approximately 1,000-square-foot store carries between 7,000 and 8,000 titles for all ages, and while most of them are used, shoppers can order and purchase new books from the store's Bookshop.org page. Local authors are featured and there is a children's area with a section devoted to Caldecott and Newbery award winners.
Owners Dave and Sara Jones began selling books back in 2018, out of a single bookcase in a local secondhand shop. Over the past few years they expanded their book collection via estate sales, auctions, donations and more.
"One of our main goals in starting the bookstore is to really promote the love of physical books," Sara Jones told the TimesReporter. "There's something unique and precious about holding a book."
Once pandemic restrictions are lifted, they hope to host a variety of events at their store, including game nights, author talks and story time sessions. Shoppers can sell their used books for cash or store credit, and the owners plan to partner with a variety of other downtown businesses. They celebrated their opening day with cookies and coffee-shop coupons.