One of the oldest bookstores in the country, Otto Bookstore, Williamsport, Pa., is for sale, according to the Sun Gazette. The store's roots go back to 1841, when it was part of a business that sold books, window shades, wallpaper and insurance.
Owner Betsy Rider, who is 81 and had a fall in November from which she hasn't completely recovered, told the newspaper that it's time to sell: "I am just looking at my own abilities."
The store has been a part of Rider's life since birth: her father started working there in 1905, then bought the store in 1934. When he died in 1958, Rider and her mother took over the business.
The store has been in several locations in Williamsport and has survived the many changes in bookselling over the years. "We are still doing fine," Rider said.
The store has a staff of three, including Rider's son, Tom, and has a lease until October. Rider said she's received offers for the store but, as the Sun Gazette wrote, "didn't completely rule out the possibility of it staying in the family."
