Their forces were joined by the inhabitants of the small town Chelsea of Michigan carrying 9000 books at a moving moment of solidarity.
About 300 residents from Michigan Chelsea created a human chain by transferring 9,100 books from the old to the new store of the beloved local bookstore, Serendipity Books.
Volunteers formed two parallel lines Along the pavement and with coordinated movements, they conveyed one book after another starting from the full shelves of the old bookstore on the permission of the new space, just a few meters below, at the corner of the busy main street.
“It was a practical way to convey books, but also a way for everyone to participate,” said store owner Michelle Tuplin since 2017.
“As the books went hand in hand, there were comments” I haven’t read that “or ‘this is good’,” he added.
The initiative began when the owner announced the move in January.
“There was a great mobilization in the city. Many people wanted to help, “he said.
The transfer of 9,100 books to the new store was completed in less than two hours, last Sunday. The owner stressed that this time was significantly shorter than that would be required if the bookstore hired a shipping company to pack, transport and then defrost the thousands of titles. In fact The team placed the books on the shelves, in alphabetical order.
300 residents in small Michigan town help bookstore move 9K titles to new shop space with ‘book brigade
The volunteers formed a pair of lines as they passed off each title – about 9,100 in all – from the shop’s former spot to a new building down the block and around the corner… pic.twitter.com/aAmaT9gRXY
— Michigan News Source (@MINewsSource) April 16, 2025
Tuplin expressed optimism that its new Serendipity Books store will be able to open its doors over the next two weeks. The bookstore has been in the city of about 5,300 inhabitants since 1997, according to AP.
‘It’s a small town that the inhabitants really They care about each other. Wherever you go, you will meet someone you know and ask you about your day, “said Kaci Friss, who grew up in the city of Chelsea and works in the bookstore for just over a year.
She added that Sunday’s initiative reminded her “how special this community is.”