When computer scientist Dan Brewster opened Prologue Bookshop last fall, in Columbus’s popular Short North district, he had certainly done his homework. After attending a sort-of “bookstore boot camp” cosponsored by the American Booksellers Association and hiring a bookstore-specific team to design the space, Prologue opened its doors to a welcoming community and filled a void that had existed for more than a decade.

While the Short North is rife with boutique shopping and unique dining experiences that draw tourists and locals alike to the neighborhood, one prime puzzle piece had been missing. Prologue is the Short North’s first independent bookstore in fifteen years – a role it has taken on with gusto. From its brightly colored walls and modern design touches to its creative displays and clean-lined, nicely stocked shelves, the store is full of (as Brewster somewhat reluctantly notes) Instagram-appeal.

But looks aren’t everything. Creating a space that people want to be in goes further than paint and cool displays. Understanding the value of the bookstore as community hub, Prologue maintains an active calendar of events, including signings, readings, and a variety of staff-led book clubs with such themes as female writers and LGBTQ reads.

The store’s inventory of new books, meanwhile, is an eclectic mix of popular bestsellers and to-be-discovered favorites. 

“It’s not all about best sellers, although we will have those, but what are the books that people are discovering?” Brewster told the Columbus Dispatch last fall. “That’s the whole value proposition of bookstores now. You want to be surprised, which is not something you get from walking into a Target book aisle, or going on Amazon. It’s something you don’t know you want — that’s key.”

With a prime location in a busy retail district, a thriving bookstore community in Columbus, and a well-craft vision by Brewster, Prologue Bookshop is poised for a long and satisfying story.

Prologue Bookshop is located 841 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. Summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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