Around 300 people stood in two lines in Chelsea, Michigan. 

That made a long human chain. 

On Sunday, they helped a local bookshop move each of its 9,100 books one by one. The books went to a new storefront about a block away.

The “book brigade” started at Serendipity Books’ former location. Helpers passed the books down the block and around the corner. Folks at the end of the line placed titles directly onto the correct shelves. 

Before modern fire departments, people lined up this way to pass water to put out a fire. That was called a “bucket brigade.”

“It was a practical way to move the books, but it also was a way for everybody to have a part,” says Michelle Tuplin. She owns the store. Book-passers shared comments like “I have not read this” or “That’s a good one.”

Ms. Tuplin says the project took just under two hours. That’s much shorter than hiring a moving company to box and unbox the thousands of titles. The brigade even put the books back on the shelves in alphabetical order.

Ms. Tuplin hopes to have the new location open within two weeks.

The bookstore has been in Chelsea since 1997. About 5,300 people call the town home. Residents describe it as a place where neighbors help neighbors.

“It’s a small town and people just really look out for each other,” says Kaci Friss. She grew up in Chelsea. She works at the bookstore. “Anywhere you go, you are going to run into someone you know or who knows you and is going to ask you about your day.”

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. — Mark 12:31