Schuler Books opens expanded children’s and young adult book department in Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, MI – Schuler Books has reason to celebrate: an expanded children’s and young adult department at its Ann Arbor location.

The bookstore at 2513 Jackson Ave. has been under renovation for about a year and will celebrate its reopening with a grand ceremony on Saturday, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The new area for children and young adults has been set up in the premises next door that previously housed The Old restaurant, which was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the renovation, the children’s and young adult section was “very cramped,” said Alana Haley, marketing coordinator at Schuler Books.

“We couldn’t take everything we wanted,” Haley said.

The expansion will give the bookstore 100 square meters of new space, Haley said.

“This essentially doubles the space we previously had for children’s and young adult books,” she said.

The former children’s and young adult section will now become a used book section, Haley said. Previously, the Ann Arbor location was the only one of Schuler’s four stores in Michigan that did not have a used book section. Other locations are in Grand Rapids, Okemos and West Bloomfield.

The long-established Ann Arbor bookstore in the Westgate Shopping Center was known as Nicola’s Books until it changed its name to Schuler Books in 2022 to reflect the namesake of its West Michigan owners, who took over the business from Nicola Rooney in 2014.

Read more: Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor was renamed Schuler Books as part of the expansion

Those who want to celebrate the expansion at the grand reopening can enjoy a free treat, participate in activities and possibly win free gifts during the celebration.

Balloons and other free gifts will be available for children who attend the opening while supplies last. Other visitors can enter a drawing for ten $20 gift cards and find a golden ticket for a tote bag filled with books.

Visitors can also make bookmarks and friendship bracelets, create origami book pages and mark the path in front of the bookstore with chalk.

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