BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Little Bookworm in downtown Blacksburg is not just a typical bookstore. Its goal is to nurture a love of reading for children and offer employment to adults with disabilities.
Cathy McDowell, owner of The Little Bookworm, said it has always been a dream of hers to build an inclusive business.
“It has always been a vision of mine to have an inclusive business that brings communities together,” McDowell said.
McDowell and her late husband, John — a Virginia Tech professor for 27 years — dreamed of giving back to their community. With The Little Bookworm, she said that dream has come to fruition. John passed away from an aggressive form of brain cancer in December 2024.
“My husband was an educator. He loved books; he read all the time to the boys,” McDowell said. “And it’s something that we’d always dreamed of doing together. And then recently, when we had some tragedy in our life, the bookstore kind of came at a time that was most important to me — to be able to give back to the community in a way that he would.”
The atmosphere McDowell created has turned one-time visitors into regular customers who return with their children.
“We just said, why not walk there one day and see what it’s about?” said Kathryn Horton, a regular at The Little Bookworm. “And then we came in, and it was so inviting and fun. And the kids could make a mess, but it was welcomed because they’re kids. And we found so many books that we just absolutely fell in love with.”
Inclusivity was also a major factor in attracting one of the store’s newest employees.
“I just love children, and it’s such a happy place to work,” said Tiffany Wood, an employee at The Little Bookworm. “I also have a disability, which is part of the mission — that it’s an inclusive and welcoming environment. So it was really comforting and welcoming to walk in.”
With so many young children choosing electronics over books, McDowell said a space like The Little Bookworm can influence kids to pick up a book instead of a tablet.
“And it gives the kids that opportunity to sit and read, to play, to interact, to discover,” she said. “And I think that is something that parents actually are looking for.”
But for McDowell, one of the biggest motivators is repaying the community for its kindness and generosity.
“My husband and I raised two sons here,” McDowell said. “Blacksburg has great people. And we want to do well by our community, and that’s part of the reason I started the bookstore.”