PhD student bucks the trend, opens scholarly bookshop in Toronto
“Although Of Swallows, Their Deeds, & the Winter Below is a used scholarly bookshop catering to a mainly university crowd, it carries a few surprises to ignite curious minds. Among the 2,010 used scholarly works, which Rovito says are in pristine condition, is an eight-volume set from 1929 that deals with occult practices from a scientific viewpoint. “The texts are beautifully illustrated,” says Rovito. This isn’t your average bookstore.
“We’re trying to create a space that people enjoy spending time in,” says Rovito. He wants people to browse, leaf through books – some they might not have otherwise found – and enjoy their surroundings. The shop, located in the Alexandrina block on College Street, which was built in 1887, offers the tactile experience of bookshops of old. There is a rescued red couch and two large arching windows that let in ample natural light”
