The new owners of Danville’s Main Street bookstore welcomed guests Saturday, December 6, for the grand reopening of The Dogeared Page Bookshop.
A Main Street celebration
Opened four years ago by Catherine Carter, the shop is now under the care of Katelyn Murray, Josh Cassell, Maryann Howerton and Scarlett Murray. After thanking Carter for launching the store with a mission to “bring great stories to our community in Danville,” Katelyn said the transition “turns the page on a new chapter in service of that mission.”
A mission to support literacy
Katelyn also noted adult literacy challenges in Danville, citing an estimated 18–20% low-literacy rate among adults in the city.
“That means one in five of our neighbors reads at or below a fourth-grade level,” she said. “Local indie bookshops are critical to boosting literacy, and literacy rates are directly tied to economic success. In building up this shop, we’re approaching it from a perspective of building up this city.”
Following the ribbon cutting, the bookstore hosted a reading of a children’s version of It’s a Wonderful Life by performers from Smokestack Theatre Company, along with hourly raffle drawings featuring gifts donated by other Danville businesses and additional festivities.
New look, new events
During the event, Katelyn highlighted a reconfigured layout for the store, which now features dedicated sections for children’s books, classics, local authors and more. The bookshop also displays creative works from local artisans, including greeting cards designed by Living Daringly and hand-drawn pieces by LoriLee Davis, as well as an expanded lounge area where readers can enjoy new books or gather to discuss their latest finds.
A used-books section is available in the back of the shop to give new life to old reads and offer an assortment of secondhand picks for readers looking for something off the beaten path.
“There are some real treasures in there,” Katelyn said.
Katelyn added that Poe Night will return Saturday, January 17, featuring a dramatic reading of an unnamed Edgar Allan Poe work.
“We’ll have snacks that are Poe-themed, we’ll have merch that’s Poe-themed, and of course we’ll have Edgar Allan Poe anthologies and books available,” she said, noting that the team is also planning events around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day and more.
The bookshop launched a revamped website this week ahead of the grand reopening, offering new ways for readers to engage with the store as well as opportunities to support the small-town bookseller through Patreon and online ordering via bookshop.org.
The Dogeared Page Bookshop is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store is located at 525 Main Street.
