Today we’d like to introduce you to R. Aimee Chipman
Hi R. Aimee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As the kid who was always caught reading a book under her desk when she should have been listening to teachers, my love story with books started early in life. Raised in West Michigan, where the only real social currency was “where do you go to church?”, books became both teachers and friends to escape the real world. Despite this lifelong love, the idea of opening and running an independent bookshop didn’t occur to me until I worked as a theatrical production manager and events director for another bookstore in the area. After learning the ins-and-outs, I recognized I had more to give the book lover community – and the wider community as a whole – than I had initially thought was possible. So The Bluestocking Bookshop was born in August of 2019 with a whirlwind beginning that opened our doors September 1st, 2019. Since then, we have survived pandemic shutdowns, doubled in square footage, been a community organizing center for activism efforts, been a partner and sponsor for our local LGBTQIA+ center, donated over $15,000 in book funds to area educators, and are currently in negotiations for an even larger space to serve our community. The staff and supporters of the bookshop are dedicated to leaving the world better than we found it, and know that books are the first step in doing so.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No endeavor is ever entirely smooth. The biggest struggle was obviously opening 6 months before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Our building owner was amazing and our community rallied with us, ordering books online and for delivery. Since then, our struggle has come up against an unfavorable political climate with a Christian nationalist political action committee targeting our store and book banning as a campaign point.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Bluestocking Bookshop?
Our bookshop focuses primarily on used books. We are dedicated to the sustainability of knowledge, getting books back into circulation after they have been enjoyed by one reader. I think our community-focused model is what sets us apart from other bookshops in the area – it’s important to us to have space where readers can gather and discuss, where groups who serve our community can host events, where we can all be literary and intelligent people through exploring the stories from around our world. We are active on social media (Meta, BlueSky, TikTok) to keep eyes on those global conversations that we can then distill down to our local effects.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success is about leaving the world better than we found it, through access to equitable care, equal opportunities, and increasing the knowledge and empathy about the world we live in. Success isn’t a monetary measure, it’s a personal one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluestockingbookshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluestocking.bookshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluestocking.bookshop.holland
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-aimee-chipman-18661a311/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bluestocking.bookshop
