Libreria Bookstore opened in Newton in April. "It's a passion project, but it's also just fun."

Customers walking into Libreria Bookstore in Newton will quickly find that it is more than just a bookstore.

The new store in downtown sells books, art and other goods. It is also aiming to be a welcoming third social space for residents and visitors.

"We thought, why not have a bookstore that also functions as a third space for the community to come and not only commune and connect with local artists, authors from our area and surrounding areas, all over North Carolina," owner David Fiorentino said in January.

"For us, it's a passion project, but it's also just fun."

Libreria Bookstore opened on April 10. The store sells new and used books, children's books, clothing, home décor and art made by local artists and locally baked goods.

"A really important part of community for us is culture," owner Crystal Fiorentino said. "Books, art, music, we plan to showcase all those in the store with local creators."

At the grand opening of the store, Newton City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Beverly Danner said the bookstore was more than just a place of commerce.

"This is a day we're opening doors to knowledge and imagination in our community," Danner said.

In addition to national best-selling authors and well-known names, Libreria has an inventory of books by independent and local authors.

"I think we might have more independent authors than traditional," Crystal Fiorentino said to a customer at the grand opening.

The grand opening of Libreria came after months of work. The Fiorentinos said they thought about opening a bookstore for months before they found the perfect space in downtown Newton. After finding the store, formerly occupied by Emporium 23, the Fiorentinos went to work creating a space where others can feel comfortable.

The couple said they drew inspiration for Libreria from other bookstores they have visited.

"We talked about it a lot and said ‘Wouldn't it be cool if we had a bookstore like the ones we visited in Boone, Black Mountain, Buffalo?' … We always love that atmosphere, on top of the idea of a small, community bookstore was always so exciting for us," David Fiorentino said.

"We love being in it as consumers. Having our own and being able to connect with our community was like a no-brainer."

The Fiorentinos said they developed a love of reading at a young age. Crystal Fiorentino said she wanted to be a librarian when she was younger. Jokingly, the Fiorentinos said they had enough books at home to be considered a library.

The Fiorentinos said family is important to them. They said they're trying to build a family atmosphere at Libreria. To them, community building is one of the most worthwhile ventures for a business.

"Owning a bookstore, it's not going to make us rich," David Fiorentino said, "but it's going to give us the life that we want, to be talking about books with people every day, to have a place where our children can be surrounded by books."

Libreria Bookstore is located at 111 N. College Ave in Newton. The store is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

To learn more about Libreria, visit their Facebook page, facebook.com/LibreriaNewton.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:42 AM.