Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Celestial Books is looking to open a bricks-and-mortar location in San Francisco, Calif., the Richmond Review reported.
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| Chelsea Brown | |
Celestial Books sells predominantly used titles and grew out of a free lending library that creator Chelsea Brown launched in her driveway roughly four years ago. As the library grew increasingly popular, Brown started hosting children's storytime sessions, and eventually she decided she wanted to open a bookstore. She launched an Indiegogo campaign in February and raised more than $30,000, with nearly 200 donors contributing.
"It's just been really emotional in that regard," Brown told the Richmond Review. "I really believe in grassroots movements, power of the collective, and I feel like this just demonstrated that."
Brown hopes to open a bricks-and-mortar store in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighborhood before the end of the year. She intends for it to be a "general neighborhood bookstore" with titles and programming for all ages. Alongside new and used books, she plans to sell loose leaf tea as well as journals, cards, bath salts, and other sidelines.
Brown noted that she started the Celestial Library, the precursor to Celestial Books, essentially as a way to deal with an overabundance of books while also getting to know her neighbors. "Over time, it just grew," she said. "It was a very slow, organic process."