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Situated in the center of downtown Williamsport lies a haven for those that seek adventure from the safety of a comfy chair or park bench, a haven that has not only stood the test of time, but one that continues to embrace innovation to deliver for their customers.
At its inception in 1841, Otto's Bookstore, 107 W. Fourth St., looked very different than it does today, as it opened under the name A.D. Lundy and Co.
"At that time, book selling was what we would call a sideline," said Manager John Shableski, noting that the store originally sold wallpaper and similar items.
With the evolution of American publishing companies and reading became more affordable, devoted book stores became more plentiful.
Eight years ago, the store was purchased by Isak Sidenbladh and Kathryn Nassberg, with Shableski coming aboard last year, having previously worked in library distribution and as a consultant for several authors and publishers for 25 years.
Although he is originally from the San Diego area, Shableski fell in love with Otto's immediately.
"Otto's has always been known as the book lovers paradise in the heart of downtown Williamsport. It's a great notion to celebrate being one of the oldest indie bookstores in the country," Shableski said.
"It shows you that we have longevity and it shows you that these things are possible," he added.
"Historically, it was a beautiful place to get books as grandparents for grandchildren. But now when you walk in here, there's actually a natural sense of progression from early early childhood literacy to story books, middle grade readers and young adult books," Shableski said.
Today, Otto's regularly carries an inventory of roughly 21,000 titles in stock, ranging from romantic fantasy to horror, and receives about 250 new books per day, with children accounting for 20% of the store's sales, according to Shableski.
"We see a lot more kids coming in here that see this as their store, and when you've got kids coming in on their own to buy, it's really important to us, because those are tomorrow's parents," he stressed.
Their inventory includes TikTok famous authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.
"We are also cognizant of developments in the community, like the rail trail conversation. We provide titles that fit into the outdoor lifestyles, like hunting, fishing, crossbows and everything that aligns with who we are in the PA Wilds project," Shableski said.
In an attempt to continue to foster children's interest in reading, Otto's regularly participates in street festivals and hosts national-level authors, one of the most recent being Jim Wexell, who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers for 30 years.
Although the store focuses on physical books, they do not turn a blind eye to advancing technology.
"We recognize that people have a format that they enjoy. They may be strictly audio book readers or listeners. They may enjoy ebooks, and we sell all of those formats," Shableski said.
"Everybody has their way of enjoying a story, and it's our job to do everything we can to make that possible," he stressed.
Along with Otto's modernization efforts, Shableski has made community outreach a focal point of the operation.
"We are doing more to help establish a literacy ecosystem within our community," which now encompasses five counties, he said.
"Literacy begins six months before the baby's born, and there are programs in development that help foster the joy of reading, versus just handing a child a book and telling them to read it," Shableski said.
"One of the first conversations I had with anybody in the community was with Amy Resh at the James V Brown, and I said, 'we need to be partners,'" Shableski explained, hoping to dispel the myth that bookstores and libraries have adversarial relationships.
"We're also working on that with the school districts, so that teachers know they get a huge discount when they come in here," he said.
"It's our way of saying, 'thank you for your education and the time you put in with our kids," Shableski said.
"It's wonderful to see these partnerships really starting to take root as we see more teachers coming in and parents coming in. We've got people coming through the door who haven't been here in 30 years," he added.
Even with the hard work Shableski and his team have put in, there exists an existential allure to stores such as Otto's, he said.
"There's something very tangible and tactile about walking into a bookstore and not only finding what you were looking for, but discovering other things and meeting other people who are like you," Shableski said, stressing the personalized experience of visiting such a store, as opposed to a large retailer or online store.
"And when you have people behind the counter who love what they do just as much as the reason that brought you through the doors, we cherish that," he said, referring to his staff as "book whisperers."
"Personalization is really the biggest key," Shableski said.
"How do we help you find that book that you need? Well, it's not an algorithm. It really is a personal experience where we talk to you and help you find what works," he said.
"And once you find what you're looking for, you might start looking, and see, 'oh, this author looks interesting.' That's the human algorithm that we're supposed to enjoy. Its discovery in a physical sense," Shableski said.
Shableski said he could not be more grateful to have the chance to reintroduce the community to such an inspirational place.
"I know just how magical this is, and coming from the outside and having worked in the industry for 25 years at the national level, and being able to bring it all here, it's a wonderful chance of a lifetime, and we have great owners who are willing to do whatever it takes to make this place the best possible experience," he said.