(Editor's note: Ten Trees Books will hold a grand opening at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. This story has been updated to correct an error in a previous version.)When it came time for Ten Trees Books to move to a permanent location, book enthusiasts in Natick did more than just come out to help — they formed a human book brigade, passing 8,000 books, hand-to-hand, across North Main Street.About 35 people lined up downtown to move the bookstore from its temporary location at The Hive, a retail incubat...
(Editor's note: Ten Trees Books will hold a grand opening at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. This story has been updated to correct an error in a previous version.)
When it came time for Ten Trees Books to move to a permanent location, book enthusiasts in Natick did more than just come out to help — they formed a human book brigade, passing 8,000 books, hand-to-hand, across North Main Street.
About 35 people lined up downtown to move the bookstore from its temporary location at The Hive, a retail incubator space at 22 North Main St. (Route 27), to its new home across the street at 29 North Main St. Store owner Kim Rickard has run the business for nearly a year, and when customers learned of the upcoming move, they were eager to help.
“People started to say, ‘I want to help,’ let’s do a book brigade," Rickard told the Daily News. "I probably had 35 people ask me if they could help move."
The book brigade took place on Sunday, Oct. 19. Over three hours, police temporarily blocked the road to allow participants to safely form their chain. As books were passed along, community members began talking about their favorites, as well as their shared love for Natick.
“It was literally a human chain, hand to hand, arm to arm," said Rickard. "It was such a great experience, because people met their neighbors and they started talking about the books.
"It was a very community-building event."
Bookstore helps others find community
Rickard was inspired to open a bookstore in Natick after moving to town with her family and looking for a place to meet new people. With her lifelong love for books, she wanted to create a place that would help others find the same type of community she was looking for.
She said Ten Trees Books' inventory is carefully curated to reflect the interests and spirit of Natick residents.
“I really want to emphasize the Natick community, because I think they’re exceptional in their vision of what they want the town to be,” Rickard said.
Rickard, who has a young daughter, also hopes to highlight the importance of learning and community experiences, a sentiment she said is shared by many Natick parents and is reflected in the bookstore’s mission.
To celebrate its new permanent location, Ten Trees Books will hold a grand opening at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, in partnership with the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce.