Tuesday Books, A Community Cornerstone

Justine Dailey, Theresa Grossman, and Beth Phelps

Bookselling is often a family affair, but the three founding mothers of Tuesday Books, the nearly two-year-old, general bookstore in Williamston, Michigan, have created a place that is downright communal. Family dinners are routinely held in the backroom, alongside publishers' catalogues and, when their children were preschoolers, the weekly schedules for each partner included three days off, two days in the store, and two days babysitting all six children.

In January 2004, the three women -- Justine Dailey, Theresa Grossman, and Beth Phelps -- were at home rearing two young children each. Grossman and Phelps had been teachers, and Dailey was an artist. The local Cornerstone Books had become the place to go with the kids, indulge their love of books, and socialize with other mothers. When, during a bleak Michigan January, Marci Russell, Cornerstone's owner, announced her plan to close the store and move to California, the three friends were bereft.

Williamston, with a population of 5,500, is a suburban community between Lansing and Detroit, with a distinctively small town feel, according to Phelps. The attractive downtown area features shops, a movie house, and soon, a professional theater company.

Unable to imagine the friendly Williamston community without a bookstore and unwilling to abandon the warm gathering place with its activities for children, the three women decided to buy Cornerstone.

On April 1, 2004, they reopened in the Cornerstone location under the new name, Tuesday Books. Deciding both to relocate the store and take a crash course in bookselling, shortly thereafter the three partners closed the store and attended a Booksellers School run by Paz & Associates. While the women were learning the craft of bookselling, Phelps told BTW, their husbands and other family members were busily renovating the new 1,000-square-foot space.

"We moved around the corner," said Phelps, "and reopened on May 11, 2004. It's closer to a traffic light, so more people stop here. It's more centrally located, and we're right next door to Cappuccino Expresso, a wonderful cafe that gets involved with our events."

Store events, such as a monthly American Girl party, author readings, live animal visits, and periodic readings and craft sessions from students at nearby Michigan State University in East Lansing, have created an environment that is "welcoming and cozy." Phelps has found running the store, "a lot more work than we ever expected," but she is grateful for the knowledge gained at the Booksellers School.

"[The school] was extremely valuable. I would tell anyone who is even considering opening a bookstore to call Donna [Paz]. It probably would have been easier for us if we had gone earlier than we did. We now produce a very professional-looking newsletter, in conjunction with Paz & Associates."

Tuesday Books features the Book Sense lists, and Phelps noted that customers are very receptive to them. The shelf of designated Book Sense titles is a popular stop. Selecting books is one of Phelps' favorite parts of the job. "I love when the rep comes and shows us the books. And I love when someone comes up to me and says she needs a book for a three-year-old." --Nomi Schwartz