Chic Spotlight: Ohio Book Store
There’s a book lover’s paradise located right here in the Tri-State, complete with five floors of rare volumes and a book repair department. Read on for more.
Cincy Chic: What is the Ohio Book Store?
Mike Fallon, Bookbinder at Ohio Book Store: Ohio Book Store is a used, rare and new bookstore located at 726 Main Street in Cincinnati. We have five floors of books covering all subjects, mainly used volumes, but some new volumes on local/Cincinnati history. We actually have published over 20 books on Cincinnati history! We carry books that sell from 50 cents on up to high priced, very rare volumes. We have approximately 300,000 books to choose from in our inventory.
We also have a book binding department, where we repair/restore books such as bibles, cookbooks, children’s books and many family heirlooms. We also bind brand new books such as family genealogy, personal journals, business presentations, etc. We offer custom debossing (imprinting names/initials) on many items such as bibles, albums, leather goods and other items that are brought in.
Cincy Chic: Who’s behind the bookstore?
Fallon: The Ohio Book Store is owned by James T. Fallon, who has worked here since the age of 13. He purchased the business from the original owner in 1971 and now has almost 60 years working here at the bookstore.
Cincy Chic: What makes the Ohio Book Store unique?
Fallon: The bookstore is unique because of the fact that we’ve been in business since 1940, the size of the store, all the subjects you could think of and our bookbinding department. We have customers from all around the country, and the world now with the Internet sales that we mail books to on a daily basis.
Cincy Chic: What do you enjoy most about working at the bookstore?
Fallon: What we enjoy most about working at the store is meeting all of the customers and friends that come in, some on a daily basis. It’s nice to see such a diverse group from teenagers to business folks, college professors and so many from other areas of the country that are traveling through our great city. And working in the bindery, it is a wonderful feeling to restore items that mean so much to a family. The most common book we repair is the Holy Bible. Whether it is a newer hand-held bible that someone has spent a few years making their notes in and then it falls apart, to large family bibles that are hundreds of years old that have been passed down for generations and are filled with handwritten notes about their family’s history.
To make our customers smile or laugh, find a volume that they may have been looking for for years or restore a family treasure, making someone happy with their experience at our business is extremely rewarding for us.
Cincy Chic: Is there anything new on the horizon for the Ohio Book Store?
Fallon: As far as something new here, we are buying books all the time, so our inventory changes quite often. We are also updating our lighting and have just finished our third floor with all new energy efficient and brighter, automated lighting, and will be beginning on our first floor shortly.
Cincy Chic: Where can readers go to learn more about the Ohio Book Store?
Fallon: To learn more about us, our website is ohiobookstore.net.
