The small town of Chelsea, Michigan, accomplished a literary accomplishment worthy of a novel all its own in a touching display of communal spirit.
Owner Michelle Tuplin had a practical dilemma when the well-liked neighbourhood bookshop Serendipity volumes announced it was moving to a larger location: how to transfer 9,100 volumes and hundreds of cartons without having to close for days.
“People really consider independent bookshops theirs,” Tuplin stated on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s really a part of the community, and they have ownership.”
So she thought of something new.
In the hopes that someone may help, Tuplin posted an appeal for volunteers. A human conveyor belt that extended 350 feet from the stockroom of the previous store, around the corner, and into the new location was what she received.
In addition to one excellent dog, almost 300 individuals came to lend a hand. To complete the task, neighbours, clients, and even bystanders joined together to form two human chains.
“It was just a joyful experience,” Volunteer Donna Zak remarked. “We were passing the books and noticing and commenting to each other, ‘Oh, have you read this one? I really enjoyed this one!”
The whole inventory of Serendipity Books was moved in less than two hours, and it was done in alphabetical order.
“There was a 91-year-old woman. There was a good customer who has issues with his heart. There was somebody with their 6-year-old child. And we figured if we just did it book by book, everybody could be involved,” Tuplin stated.
Later this month, the new storefront—which is more than twice as large as the previous one—will open in time for Independent Bookshop Day on April 26, which honours independent bookshops and the communities that support them.
“To see the community come out and, you know, put all those words that they say, usually say, into action, it truly just meant the world,” Tuplin stated. “It was overwhelming.”
It served as evidence that the written word is still widely used, at least in one Michigan community. Sometimes a mutual love of books and a desire to share it are all that are needed to ignite a little magic.
