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Moravian Book Shop is an independent bookstore based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1745 by the Moravian Church and lays claim to being the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the world.〔(Discover Lehigh Valley )〕 (The Bertrand Bookstore in Lisbon, Portugal also lays claim to that title, having been open since 1732.)〔http://bookriot.com/2013/06/26/the-oldest-bookstore-in-the-world-the-bertrand-bookstore-in-lisbon/〕 In addition to books, Moravian Book Shop also operates a deli, a gift shop, and gourmet food shop. ==History== In 1745, Bishop Augustus Spangenberg of the Moravian Church charged Samuel Powell, an innkeeper on the South Side of Bethlehem, to open and operate a bookstore. In its early years, the store served to cater to the needs of the church, importing and selling devotional and liturgical materials for use by churchgoers, missionaries, and students.〔Clark, Kathryn Finegan,("Moravian Book Shop" ), ''Lehigh Valley Marketplace''〕 Over the next century, the store was moved to several locations, including, for a time, to Philadelphia, where it existed as both a seller and printer of books.〔Kawaguchi, Karen, ("Moravian Book Shop Evolves Through History" ), ''Publishers Weekly'', June 28, 1999〕 In 1871, the store was moved to a building near the Central Moravian Church on Main Street in Bethlehem. The store occupies the same space to this day, though it has expanded several times in the intervening 140 years and now fills in four buildings. The bookstore is now owned by the Ministers' Pension Fund of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church and is overseen by a board of directors which is appointed by the church.〔 ==Features== Across its four store fronts, Moravian Book Shop contains several departments. Among them are the bookstore itself, which contains 10,000-15,000 volumes and includes sizable children's, local interest, and religious sections. In addition, the store houses an independent business called The Retro Deli, a gourmet food and candy counter, a gift shop, and a Moravian-Bethlehem room, specializing in local and traditionally Moravian items.〔 The store also hosts weekly reading and discussion groups and monthly events with authors.〔(Moravian Book Shop website )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Moravian Book Shop」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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