Elephant Ear Books, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore, has opened in Plymouth, Mich., Hometown Life reported.
Owner Melissa Schabel, a librarian for more than 20 years, welcomed customers for the first time last Saturday, November 16. The bookstore resides at 449 S. Harvey St., and its wide-ranging inventory features a particular emphasis on fiction and children's titles. She plans to adjust the selection based on customer feedback, and along with books, Schabel carries puzzles, cards, and other sidelines.
Schabel told Hometown Life that she has dreamed of opening her own bookstore for decades, and decided finally to take the plunge after her father died in 2023. She left her previous job at the Saline District Library earlier this year and began scouting around for locations in downtowns that did not already have a bookstore. Plymouth appealed to her, she explained, because it reminded her of her hometown in New England, and she decided on the bookstore's name because it sounded fun.
"The reason I loved being a librarian is that I love to talk to people about books," Schabel remarked. "I just think books bring people together."