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

Moving is easy when you get 300 of your closest friends to help out. 

When Serendipity Books in Chelsea, Mich., needed to move 9,100 books to the store’s new location one block away, they assembled a volunteer “book brigade” to form a human chain, and pass each book, one-by-one, to its new home. 

“We had people from five, six years old, all the way through to 91. Somebody brought their dog. And everybody was kind of having a bit of a street party as 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 as they moved along. You know, there was lots of excitement as they got to the romance section. It was just so fun.”

Section by section, in alphabetical order

Serendipity Books didn’t do this to save on money or labour, Tuplin said. In fact, she hired movers to come the following day for the bookcases.

“We had so many offers of how people wanted to help, and we really wanted to be able to involve people in a meaningful way, and an inclusive way, too,” she said. 

“The community really feels the sense of ownership to Serendipity Books, as they do, I think, with many indie bookstores.”

When she put out the call in January, she says she had no idea how many people would ultimately show up, and whether they’d be able to pull it off. 

But she says so many people heeded the call that they formed not one, but two human chains, and the whole thing was done in about two hours.

“It was section by section, and so the crazy thing is that, really, items, for the most part, stayed in the right section and in alphabetical order,” Tuplin said. 

“So for us in the new space, you know, there really is no unboxing or rearranging, re-alphabetizing. It’s really pretty organized.”

Kaci Friss, 32, who works at Serendipity Books, grew up in Chelsea, a community of roughly 5,300 residents, 95 kilometres west of Detroit. She said the event reminded her of “how special” the community is.

“People just really look out for each other,” Friss said. “Anywhere you go, you are going to run into someone you know or who knows you, and is going to ask you about your day.”

The shop reopens at its new location on April 26, which happens to be Independent Bookstore Day. 

Tuplin admits that running a bookstore is a “tough business.” But, she says people in Chelsea have always shown up for Serendipity Books.

“People recognize that they want these books in their communities. They know what an independent bookstore in a community means,” she said.

“It means community involvement. It means community discussion, access to diverse books, all those great things. And people seem to know that if that’s what they want, then they have to support the bookstore.”