Janet Jones has been selling books in Detroit for 24 years. Her new location inside the Auburn Building is the third incarnation of
Source Booksellers. "When I started I was a vendor doing what they call 'pop-ups' now," says Jones. "I would go to where the people were and sell books. I did that for 12 to 14 years."
The second incarnation of Source Booksellers was inside
the Spiral Collective on the corner of Cass and Willis in Midtown, a collaborative space opened by visionary artist and businesswoman Dell Pryor featuring several women-owned businesses.
"It got to the point where we needed a little more room," says Jones. "We could see ourselves expanding and needed more space for community activities and more inventory."
When it was announced that the Roxbury Group would be starting a new mixed-use construction project called the Auburn, Jones expressed interest in it to Sue Mosey and Scott Benson of
Midtown Detroit Inc. but wasn't sure what might come of it. Then, on Dec. 30, she took apart her space at the Spiral Collective and had a soft opening in the Auburn by Jan. 4.
Source focuses on four major nonfiction book categories: health & well-being, history & culture, books by & about women, and spiritual & new age. "My interest from the beginning was always wanting people to know about the books that I liked," she says.
At a recent conference Jones attended it was said that the future of bookstores is small, independent, niche market stores with a well-curated selection. "I said, 'That would be me!'" she says. "I got validated. I started by doing what I like, then offering that to other people and building on that."
Source also hosts regular community events including book and author talks, poetry groups, seasonal conversations with a metaphysical scholar, and mind/body/spirit fitness classes every Saturday morning.
Source: Janet Jones, owner of Source Booksellers
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
Have a Development News story to share? Send Nicole an email here.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.