Bryn Mawr Gets a Bookstore

Unseasonably cool, overcast, steady rainfall; not exactly ideal conditions for late May. That is, unless you're opening a bookstore.

Greeted by a steady stream of rain-specked customers coming in to browse, or maybe just get a respite from the disagreeable weather, the eagerly-anticipated Main Point Books opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday.

Owner Cathy Fiebach, 46, was all smiles on opening day. The Wharton grad, and Wynnewood resident, said her shop is carrying, at present, about 3,500 titles, and will stock itself mostly on the basis of word of mouth—"Whatever my friends are reading," Fiebach said— and direct requests from customers.

"If someone asks us to order a book for them, we'll order two," she laughed from inside her cozy, 1,700-square foot space. 

But books, she knows, likely won't be enough. Fiebach, who has a background in marketing, acknowldged that while it's a love of literature that drove her to open the shop, the Lancaster Avenue space will need to be more than just a retailer if it's going to survive. To that end, she plans to establish Main Point as a cultural center—a space for readings, book signings, and other literary events.

She's gotten off to a fast start. On June 2, Main Point is hosting the first leg of the Young Authors Give Back Tour—a lecture series wherein four young (and published) authors talk to aspiring young writers about the craft.

Main Point Books is located at 1041 W. Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr. For more information on titles, contact the store at (610) 525-1480 or at mainpointbooks@gmail.com.