Human Conveyor Belt Helps Michigan Bookstore Move Its Entire Inventory Down the Block

On Sunday, April 13, the citizens of Chelsea, Michigan, put on a demonstration of community engagement. After learning a local bookstore was set to relocate just one block away, the town came together to move the seller’s entire inventory of 9100 titles, one book at a time.

According to the Associated Press, Serendipity Books owner Michelle Tuplin announced in January that her business was moving from a downtown Main Street location to a much larger storefront just around the corner. Her dilemma: Hire expensive movers to transport goods a short distance or try to manage a cumbersome relocation on foot.

Fortunately, the town was eager to help her with the latter. After Tuplin mentioned the move on social media, she received offers for assistance. “It became so buzzy in town,” Tuplin told the AP. “So many people wanted to help.”

Tuplin expected enough volunteers for one line. Instead, roughly 300 residents showed up, enough to form two lines on either side of the sidewalk that snaked from Serendipity’s former location to its new one. One by one, the books were passed by hand in a manner similar to how locals in the 1800s used to pass water buckets to put out fires.

According to NBC News, one volunteer was a 91-year-old; another brought their dog. When passersby saw the lines, they joined in.

Tuplin made sure both ends of the lines were populated by volunteers who could keep track of the books so they remained in alphabetical order. Once they arrived at their new destination, the volunteers stocked the shelves, putting the volumes in their proper place. The entire project took just two hours, whereas having movers box the books and leave the restocking to Tuplin might have taken days.

Tuplin, who has owned the shop since 2017, plans to reopen Serendipity on Saturday, April 26, which is Independent Bookstore Day.

“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 said, per NBC.

The project had an unintended consequence: It acted as a recommended reading portal. Said volunteer Donna Zak: “It was just a joyful experience. We were passing the books and noticing and commenting to each other, ‘Oh, have you read this one? I really enjoyed this one!’”

Read More About Books: