A steady stream of about 200 books were passed hand to hand Thursday down North High Street as patrons helped a local bookstore transport its inventory.
The line of more than 100 people stretched about a block down the road between the old location of Prologue Bookshop at 841 N. High Street to 787 N. High Street. The Short North bookstore has called the arts district home since 2018 and put a call out to the community to help them move.
The effort to move the books took less than half an hour. Once it was organized and the books began their journey, the event turned into a fun community gathering around a popular local business.
Those in line noticed popular titles like Heated Rivalry and a Columbus pizza guide while chatting with their neighbors about the books they passed down the street. One woman noticed Project Hail Mary, which had a theatrical version that just opened up in theaters.
Tony Johnson, a frequent shopper from Olde Towne East, said he was happy to see the community show up.
"We were just talking about it... something that's been missing a lot since COVID is like the sense of community and people just like coming out and just helping out," Johnson said.
Prologue owner Dan Brewster said it was important to him to stay in the Short North. He called the neighborhood and the new spot great for retail. The new location was once home to Tigertree and a boutique called Happy-Go-Lucky.
"This was a great space. We had really great, great neighbors here and a really great part of High Street," Brewster said. "And yeah, we're just excited to move into a bigger and better and more vibrant area."
Business turnover for restaurants, bars and retailers isn't new to the Short North with some mainstays like Homage recently leaving the area.
Brewster said he thinks the reasons for business turnover in the area vary, like rental costs, but it really depends on what the businesses are doing to get customers.
"I think we've seen a lot of different businesses have a lot of different types of success. I know that The Lox just announced they're expanding and they've been great. They have lines out the door every single weekend," Brewster said. "So, I think it just depends what you are doing, and we're excited that we're in a position where we are able to expand successfully."
Arena District resident Lauren McBride said she walks to Prologue often and buys many books. She joked that the new location is slightly closer and might lead to more purchases.
"I'm just excited for the move and the new space even though I told Dan it was dangerous because now it's closer to my house," McBride said.
Brewster said he was glad so much of the community decided to help out.
"Everybody seemed to really have a great time, and I'm so happy that people were able to come out. We had great weather for it," Brewster said.
After the job was done, everyone was invited inside the new bookstore to celebrate and browse the titles.
