A beloved Dartmouth bookstore that was on the verge of closing last month, only to survive after a successful effort to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay off months of overdue rent, is changing ownership.

Longtime employee Jacob Smith, 24, is set to be the new owner of John W. Doull, Bookseller in Dartmouth, which has one of the most extensive collections of used books in all of Canada. 

The store, named for the shop’s longtime proprietor, has been an institution since opening in 1987.

But the bookstore was in danger of going out of business in July, behind on several months rent and owing money to creditors.  

Doull saw this as the last straw, Smith said. 

“He told me he was done and no matter whether I could save it or not, he was gonna walk away,” Smith said on Saturday. “If I wanted to run it, I was more than welcome to.”

Faced with the prospect of being out of a job, Smith marked down all books by 40 per cent and worked to spread the word that the shop needed help to survive. 

A woman stands in front of a sign reading John W. Doull, Bookseller. She is surrounded by booksA customer browses inside John W. Doull, Bookseller. (CBC)

After the news went viral on social media, the store was swamped with customers, ultimately earning more than $20,000 in revenue in just one week to avoid eviction. 

Following this, Doull agreed to let Smith take over, selling his shop, which he had owned and operated for nearly 40 years. The sale price has not been disclosed.

CBC News reached out to Doull for comment but has not heard back. 

‘A complete turnaround.”

Smith has been dreaming of taking over the shop since he started working there six years ago. 

But it was more fantasy than reality until recently. 

“It’s been a complete turnaround,” Smith said. “Instead of looking for a new job, I just bought the business.” 

A man with white hair and a beard holds a book inside a crowded bookstore. He stands in between two shelves stacked with books. John W. Doull, seen here in a photo from 2023, opened the bookstore in 1987. (Andrew Sampson/CBC)

Smith doesn’t plan to change much in the short term, including the name. 

He’d like to get on top of the store’s online inventory, expand the local interest section, and get things better organized upstairs, where the store’s rare book collection is housed. 

Talks to renew the lease are expected to begin soon. He expects to stay at the Main Street location barring an unexpectedly large rent increase.

It’s only been a few weeks since he’s taken over, but he’s already beginning to learn there’s a big difference between being an employee and your own boss. 

“It’s mine now,” he said. “It feels a little different, you know?”