Paperback Exchange new owner Nicholas Hood said the business will always be a bookstore

LANCASTER - New Paperback Exchange owner Nicholas Hood told former owner Leanne McClellan he would be interested in buying the store when she retired. That happened and now Hood owns the long-time downtown used bookstore at 210 W. Main St.

Hood is well-versed in the downtown business community as his parents own O'Huids Gaelic Pub across Columbus Street from the bookstore. He worked their full-time and would bring talk to McClellan, a family friend, when delivering her lunch.

"I could tell that she was just falling out of love with it," Hood said. "It's a lot of work. There's a lot that goes on here. She's got grandkids in Dayton and a son in California. She is just into everything. She has like 500 hobbies and this place just doesn't leave any time for that. So I made her an offer and she accepted it."

Hood has no employees. But his fiancé, McKenna Harter, is helping him out with the store.

He said the business will always remain a bookstore. Hood said there is some concern that he will sell off the books and run some other kind of business at the spot. But he said that will not happen.

"We are firm believers that a bookstore makes the community smarter, wiser," Hood said. "It assists in our communication. It's truly necessary in this community and the fabric of this community."

However, he said there are some things with the building and business that need polishing. Hood did not want reveal the details yet, though.

"Our model will probably change slightly," he said. "We'll evolve over the next year. But we'll leave that to kind of a mystery at this point in time. We want everybody to jump on our Facebook page and we'll be updating an Instagram page and follow along with us as we evolve. That way they can kind of be a part of it and see what we're doing as we do it."

Hood said he wants Paperback Exchange to be a place where people can in before eating at one of the downtown restaurants or while doing other downtown activities. 

"You can pop in here and hang out," he said. "We feel like that's lacking downtown - a place to go and wander around in the evenings. We're going to make sure we do that."

Also hanging out at the store will the two cats, Dickens and Webster, who have become staples at Paperback Exchange. He said they will remain at the store.

Hood said he realizes opening a bookstore is a risk as is opening any business during the COVID-19 pandemic. But he said he hopes to be a model for others looking to open a business during the pandemic.

"We've weighed the risk and we think that is necessary for investment in our community," Hood said. "And we think that this is the right time. It just so happens that we're here in COVID. We believe we're going to see the end of this whether it's some restrictions lifted or vaccines or anything like that.

"We'll continue to do our part by being a safe business for people to participate in. But we're not afraid of it. We think there is still room to be a successful business and to keep your revenues moving forward. We think that there needs to be a little bit more positivity about things."

Hood said the store's hours will probably expand to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday in March. McClellan was usually not open on Mondays. 

For now though, the hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-304-9296

Twitter: @JeffDBarron