Why a Michigan community formed a human chain to move 9,100 books, one at a time

Sheena Goodyear · CBC Radio

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 3:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Moving is casual erstwhile you get 300 of your closest friends to assistance out. 

When Serendipity Books successful Chelsea, Mich., needed to determination 9,100 books to the store's caller determination 1 artifact away, they assembled a unpaid "book brigade" to signifier a quality chain, and walk each book, one-by-one, to its caller home. 

"We had radical from five, six years old, each the mode done to 91. Somebody brought their dog. And everybody was benignant of having a spot of a thoroughfare enactment arsenic they were passing the books," Michelle Tuplin, the store's owner, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.

"People were singing. They were telling stories. They were reviewing the books arsenic they moved along. You know, determination was tons of excitement arsenic they got to the romance section. It was conscionable truthful fun."

Section by section, successful alphabetical order

Serendipity Books didn't bash this to prevention connected wealth oregon labour, Tuplin said. In fact, she hired movers to travel the pursuing time for the bookcases.

"We had truthful galore offers of however radical wanted to help, and we truly wanted to beryllium capable to impact radical successful a meaningful way, and an inclusive way, too," she said. 

"The assemblage truly feels the consciousness of ownership to Serendipity Books, arsenic they do, I think, with galore indie bookstores."

When she enactment retired the telephone successful January, she says she had nary thought however galore radical would yet amusement up, and whether they'd beryllium capable to propulsion it off. 

But she says truthful galore radical heeded the telephone that they formed not one, but two human chains, and the full happening was done successful astir 2 hours.

"It was conception by section, and truthful the brainsick happening is that, really, items, for the astir part, stayed successful the close conception and successful alphabetical order," Tuplin said. 

"So for america successful the caller space, you know, determination truly is nary unboxing oregon rearranging, re-alphabetizing. It's truly beauteous organized."

Kaci Friss, 32, who works astatine Serendipity Books, grew up successful Chelsea, a assemblage of astir 5,300 residents, 95 kilometres westbound of Detroit. She said the lawsuit reminded her of "how special" the assemblage is.

"People conscionable truly look retired for each other," Friss said. "Anywhere you go, you are going to tally into idiosyncratic you cognize oregon who knows you, and is going to inquire you astir your day."

The store reopens astatine its caller determination connected April 26, which happens to beryllium Independent Bookstore Day. 

Tuplin admits that moving a bookstore is simply a "tough business." But, she says radical successful Chelsea person ever shown up for Serendipity Books.

"People admit that they privation these books successful their communities. They cognize what an autarkic bookstore successful a assemblage means," she said.

"It means assemblage involvement. It means assemblage discussion, entree to divers books, each those large things. And radical look to cognize that if that's what they want, past they person to enactment the bookstore."