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On Sunday, in Chelsea, Michigan, a small town west of Detroit, around 300 residents formed a human chain to help move 91-hundred books from Serendipity Books’ former location to its new storefront a block away. The community passed the books one by one down the sidewalk, placing each directly onto the shelves of the new shop. Store owner Michelle Tuplin says it was both a practical and communal way to move.
The store announced the move earlier this year and interest from residents grew rapidly. Tuplin says the entire move took less than two hours — faster than hiring movers — and the books even ended up in alphabetical order on the shelves. The store has been a part of downtown Chelsea since 1997, and they’re shooting to reopen at the new location within two weeks.
Tuplin has owned Serendipity Books since 2017 and employs three part-time workers, including Kaci Friss, who grew up in Chelsea and says the event showed how neighbors truly support one another. She calls the moment a reminder of how special their community is.