Bethlehem's historic Moravian Book Shop's change of ownership will likely mean the loss of two local businesses, but officials vow the store won't lose its deep roots.

Late Friday, Moravian College announced that it is buying the nation's longest continuously operating bookstore from the Moravian Church Northern Province.

The shop at 428 Main St. will become the college's primary bookstore and be managed by Barnes and Noble, which currently handles the day-to-day operations of the existing college bookstore in the Haupert Union Building on the north campus.

The news has been decried by some on social media, who fear a homogenization of a Bethlehem treasure, but the president of the shop's board says it was necessary for the store's survival in a tough retail landscape.

"Moravian College (leaders) all understand the legacy and the gem that we're dealing with. It's not just a business," said Rick Santee, president of the shop's board. "We felt that they, more than just about everybody else, would appreciate the need to keep it as a vital part of the community, not just a bookstore."

Moravian has said that it's drawing inspiration from the College of William and Mary's campus bookstore in downtown Williamsburg, Va., which is managed by Barnes and Noble.

"(Barnes and Noble) does that for hundreds of colleges around the country," college spokesman Michael Corr said Monday. "We are still the owners of the book shop and we will have the final say in the layout, what's there, what it looks like."

College President Bryon Grigsby said Saturday that the college is working with Barnes and Noble and its food service provider Sodexo to evaluate all current operations. That included whether the Colony Meadery and Bone Appetit, a dog bakery and pet shop, will continue to be located in the store.

On Monday, Corr clarified that the college will be working with its vendors to explore different opportunities for that space.

"It doesn't look like the Meadery and Bone Appetit are going to fit into those plans," Corr said.

Colony Meadery CEO Greg Heller-LaBelle on Monday declined comment until the meadery had more information. Bone Appetit owner Bruce Haines could not be reached for comment.

Both local business have existing leases, but they are coming up for renewal, Santee said.

To stay viable, the bookstore tried to diversify its offerings, scaling back its retail operations and subletting space to Musselman's Jewelers, and leasing to Bone Appetit, Santee said. The meadery was brought on to offer food service and a Colonial flair.

The Musselman's building is actually owned by Bethlehem Area Moravians and is not part of the sale to the college.

"These are the steps we took to try to think outside the box, to keep us competitive," Santee said. "We've tried to pioneer things, like ghost tours, and events that brought foot traffic."

He sees the sale to the college as a way of keeping the shop in the family, so it still reflects the principles of the church, while hopefully keeping its doors open for a long time.

"It is no secret that retail on Main Street is not doing real well," Santee said. "If you talk to anyone that is in the retail business, if they're candid, they're saying, we are seeing the same decline in retail that's kind of affecting the entire country."

The bookstore is owned by the Ministers' Pension Fund of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church and overseen by the volunteer-appointed board that Santee leads. All shares of the company are held by the church and it exists to financially support the pension fund, Santee explained.

"Our core values have been posted all over the place," Santee said. "It's there not only to make money, but to operate a store keeping in the Moravian principles while being a good member and partner in the community. I think for many people the Moravian Book Shop has been the face of the Moravian Church."

And Santee knows that for many of its employees working there has been more an act of ministry than a job, he said. The store employs seven full-time workers and many part-time employees, he said.

Corr denied rumors that the employees were being laid off immediately. When asked if existing employees would have to reapply for jobs through Barnes and Noble, Corr said he did not know the company's policies.

A transition team has been created to work through all of the issues related to the sale, including staffing, officials say.

"Preserving this gem, operating this business in the principles of the faith, certainly would require us to give consideration to the people that are there to give them a transition that is as smooth as possible," Santee said.

The store is expected to change hands in mid-June, but Santee says it hopefully will not be noticeable to customers. There are no plans to close the book shop during the transition.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.