As you drive up the Hill, construction is evident. One of the most prominent features of the Innovation Center is an entrance to the new bookstore from the parking lot, with the fencing around the new entrance removed as of Nov. 17.

The presence of the new bookstore can be felt inside and outside the school alike, as the new location is visible from the math hallway.

Bookstore/spirit shop manager Miss Emma Peebles says she is excited for the bookstore to move from its current location at the back of the cafeteria to the new location at the end of the math hallway, and that move could happen by the end of November, even though, because of mandated online instruction, no students will be on campus to take advantage of the new location.

In an email, Peebles wrote, “We are hoping to start moving (the week of Nov. 16), but we have limited personnel assisting so we are able to follow social distancing guidelines. The goal is to stay on our timeline of moving everything by the end of this month. However, an official opening date is to be determined since we are currently closed to in-person customers.”

Peebles said that there are many advantages to the new bookstore, such as the fact that its physical size is approximately double its current location. This increase in physical space will allow for a wider variety of products to be sold, such as uniform pants, which are currently available for purchase only from Reese Brothers.

The new bookstore will feature two dressing rooms, mannequins that will display the latest Irish gear and, most importantly, the snack section will remain.

The initial planned opening date was in October, but a combination of construction-related setbacks and issues created by Covid-19 caused the delay.

Though the bookstore’s physical presence has been less noticeable in recent months, Peebles said that online sales have boomed compared to last year’s numbers, citing Covid-19 and an increased social media presence as major factors.

You can find the bookstore and spirit shop on Facebook and Instagram at @cathedralspiritshop.