Firefly Bookstore on Main street, as Kutztown senior Kevin Gareau describes it, “feels more like a library than a book store.”
Inside the cozy shop is a little maze of shelves, stuffed with all manner of books, both new and used. Beanbags and chairs are scattered around alcoves so patrons have a place to sit and read.
Firefly Bookstore is owned and run by Matthew Williams and his partner Rebecca Laincz.
Williams said he chose to open in Kutztown because it was a “great college town” with a busy main thoroughfare. He also cited the Kutztown Downtown Development Center, saying their support was “instrumental” in making the bookstore a reality.
Firefly Bookstore opened on Aug. 1 of this year, with the grand opening on Sept. 1. It stocks books on all subjects with a particular focus on children’s books and fiction, but carries mystery, sci-fi, biography and many other kinds of material. If a customer is on the lookout for a specific book, Firefly Bookstore keeps a request list for used copies and can special order new ones. The store also sells a variety of gifts, puzzles, games and especially calendars, which Williams called the perfect gift for students to both receive and give.
Aside from being a good resource for casual reading material, Firefly Bookstore may be a valuable academic resource for many students. Williams said the bookstore would accept reading lists from professors, so the store could be sure to have copies of those books in stock, providing students another source of required reading than the KU book store and free them from looming library due dates. It also has a book trade-in program for store credit. The store also takes donations.
When asked about the name, Williams seemed amused and responded that the Firefly television show was “not necessarily” the reason behind it. Many names had been discussed, and they continued to come back to that one time after time until it stuck. He also said that nobody else used the name and that was what clinched it.
Firefly Bookstore is located at 230 West Main Street in Kutztown, PA. Its holiday hours are Sunday – Wednesday 11 am to 7 pm and Thursday – Saturday 11 am to 9 pm.
By Emma Godfrey