Are you tired of boring, grey, and beige colored corporate bookstores like Barnes & Noble attempting to sell you whatever $25 young adult novel TikTok says is trending? Are you sick of the fact that they always try to sell you a $7 coffee to go along with it? In a world full of these debaucherous things, there’s something special about a good, old-fashioned, used bookshop. Yeah, remember those?
Well, tucked away inside a small building housed on Center St. is such a bookshop. It’s owned by a mother and her daughter named Margaret Capozzolo and Mary Taylor. Within the store are thousands upon thousands of books lined on shelves like an array of treasure troves, some dating back centuries! And the name of the store? The Old Library Bookshop.
“We came up with the shop name because when we first opened, we rented a space in Hellertown that was the town’s old library, and everyone who walked in let us know,” Mary mentioned. “So that’s how we became the Old Library Bookshop. However, because of our name, many people unfortunately think we only sell old library books.”
Although some old library books may find their way onto the shelves, the shop offers so much more than that! I stumbled upon this place in my freshman year of college and was delighted to see that the store had my favorite niche of old literature, 1900s -1910s children’s stories. Even so, they had more to offer than that – one section of the shop is home to exclusively vintage children’s literature, from the beginning of the century to the end!
A dream-born bookstore…
The whole mother-daughter bookstore jive was, to quote Mary, “simply fated.” When Margaret decided to open the shop, Mary, who had always dreamed of running her own little business, decided to hop on the bandwagon!
“It’s been an added joy for us to work together for the past 28 years,” Mary said. “We’ve reached the point in our relationship where one can finish the other’s sentences.”
Why old books? Because they’re treasures – and have amazing treasures!
The shop sells my favorite type of tome: antiquarian. The Old Library specializes in rare and used books because, while new books are fine, old books are just better.
“The fascination produced by old books is almost endless,” Mary explains. “And oftentimes, a very plain old book will yield fascinating little treasures tucked between the pages by former owners, then quickly forgotten for generations.”
And that’s so true! Some of the books have strange notes in the margins and unexpected bookmarks, such as actual bookmarks, receipts, and baby hair from the 1910s. Literally. “But most important to me,” continues Mary as she explains her love of old books, “are the words themselves, portraits of a time and place inaccessible other than through the pages of an old book.”
“Old books have been loved before, and they will be loved again. We sell old books because that is where our hearts lie,” Mary said. “We feel we have developed skill and knowledge in evaluating, caring for, and marketing books that can still be appreciated.”
Everything! Is! Physical!
Podcasts are cool. Ebooks and audiobooks have their place. But nothing beats holding paper in your hands.
“I am sorry,” Mary says, despite justifiably not being apologetic as she continues, “but there’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands. You never have to turn off your device, and you do not have to charge up a book!”
“Our in-person shop offers customers the ability to ask for a title or author that they want to read, and we can let them know if we have it,” Mary continues. “But customers who come to an in-person shop have the luxury of browsing the books on the shelves, having us help point them to other authors or genres, and discussing books, authors, history, and literature.”
Yes, the sheer power and superiority of physical books presents themselves at The Old Library. But, I guess if you’re boring, you can browse their online catalogue at oldlib.com. The mother-daughter duo has documented all their literary treasures on their webpage.
But! Physical! Always! Wins! The Old Library Bookshop is quiet and a perfect place to relax and read. Additionally, it’s such a carefully curated space!
As Mary says, “We hope that because our store is usually quiet with shelves of neatly cataloged bookshelves, eclectic artwork on the walls, and other hidden treasures, that people who come in will find it a peaceful spot where they can enjoy browsing through all there is to look at or to be able to ask us to quickly find the book they need.”
To conclude!
The Old Library Bookshop is an absolute haven for book lovers who appreciate the smell of crinkly vintage paper and charming old tales. Time slows down when you enter the building, words mean more, and the conversations you have as you purchase your wonderful finds are always above and beyond. So, if you’re looking for a place where old books matter and their stories mean the world, head on down to 1419 Center St. – you won’t miss it! Look for the sign, the knight outside the store, and the shelf of books next to him! If you get lost, call 610-814-3434 which is the shop’s phone number, or check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
