R. Aimee Chipman, owner of the
Bluestocking Bookshop, sees her store as more than a place to buy books. She calls it a hub for creativity, connection, and belonging.
Since opening in 2019, the independent, LGBTQIA+, and woman-owned shop has adapted to community needs. It first expanded into a neighboring space. Then it added a partnership with Art As A Lifestyle’s fragrance bar. Now, six years later, Bluestocking is moving to a larger location at 12330 James St. in the Town Center shopping center in Holland Township.
The new space is designed to remove barriers and invite people in. It includes wider aisles for accessibility, flexible seating, and rooms for workshops and events. It also features touches such as bathrooms with infant and child care options, a nursing and quiet room, and expanded shelves for community partnerships.
![]()
Bluestocking BookshopBluestocking Bookstore is moving to a larger space at 12330 James St. in Holland Township’s Town Center.
“We’re celebrating our grand reopening on Aug. 30, with an updated space designed to host more events, community experiences, and creative offerings like our in-house fragrance bar,” Chipman says.
The grand opening will also feature PBS Kids show character Wimee and West Michigan children’s performer Kevin Kammeraad.
The
Lakeshore caught up with Chipman for a Q&A to explore her passion for building community and how she’s using her love of books to bring that vision to life.
The Lakeshore: What inspired the move to a new location, and how does the new space reflect the evolution of The Bluestocking Bookshop since it first opened in 2019?
R. Aimee Chipman: Bluestocking has grown consistently every 2.5 years, first with expansion into our neighboring unit, then by adding a partnership with Art As A Lifestyle's fragrance bar. At this point, we can only kick the wall so far before our neighbors would protest!
When our building was sold and we were unsure of how the new owner would structure leases, we heard there were new owners at the Town Center, and there was a "might as well look" moment. We knew the space fit our needs for growth, as well as the needs we have for making space for community, but at first we were told it wasn't available. We decided not to move forward, but a week later the firm messaged: "We told the owners and they want YOU!"
The new space is really a testament to the community – we've had volunteers helping to build and move us. We get to know our customers by name, and they are as excited as we are about the expanded workshop and discussion spaces we have planned.
TL: The shop has always focused on community. How do you see the expanded space fostering even deeper connections, especially with additions like the fragrance bar and event areas?
RAC: Community has always been the heart of Bluestocking from the beginning with our trade-in model. People bring their books to us for store credit, which makes it like they're seeing old friends on the shelves every time they come in. The new space gives us the room to live that out in bigger ways with more opportunity to find new friends on those shelves. The fragrance bar and event areas aren’t just “extras” for us. They invite people to linger, create, and share experiences with each other. We do candle-making date nights, we're planning poetry readings, and I am very much looking forward to kids sprawled out on the floor during story times. This space is built to be a gathering place where books are just the beginning of the conversation.
![]()
Bluestocking BookshopThe new space features accessible aisles, flexible seating, event rooms, family-friendly amenities, and expanded shelves for community partnerships.
TL: The grand reopening weekend features a wide range of events, from “Bluestockings After Dark” to kids day. What are you most excited for the community to experience?
RAC: Honestly, I’m excited for people to see that this bookstore is somewhere they can find something of themselves, as diverse as the community itself. “Bluestockings After Dark” gives adults a space to enjoy the quirky, spicy, sometimes unhinged side of book culture, while kids day celebrates the joy and chaos of raising little readers. I love that the weekend reflects the full spectrum of who we are, a holistic place that can be playful, thoughtful, creative, and welcoming all at once.
TL: Inclusivity and accessibility are key to your mission. How have those values shaped the design and programming of your new space?
RAC: From the ground up, as much as we can when moving into an already constructed space, we’ve been intentional about making the shop feel open, welcoming, and usable for everyone. That means wide aisles for strollers and mobility devices, flexible seating for different body types and needs, programming that reflects the diversity of our community, and remodeling the bathrooms so we have both an infant and child care restroom as well as space we can keep our partnership with the family planning campaign from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services alive and well and a nursing/quiet room.
But inclusivity is more than physical, it’s cultural. Our shelves, our events, and even our candle scents are curated with the idea that everyone should feel like they belong here, no matter who they are or what stories they love. We have space and shelves for our partnerships with I AM Academy, Out on the Lakeshore, and the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, creating fundraising opportunities for marginalized communities and organizations promoting care for ourselves, our neighbors, and our world. We promote local and independent artists, authors, and creators to create opportunity, and we're already working with our business neighbors at the Town Center to invite the community to this great shared shopping center.
RAC: As an independent, LGBTQIA+ and woman-owned bookstore, what does this next chapter mean to you—and what hopes do you have for the future of Bluestocking in Holland?
TL: It's a celebration, for sure, but it's also a responsibility. As a member of the American Booksellers Association and an independent bookshop that is growing, we’re proof that bookstores still matter in this digital world. As a queer- and woman-owned business, we’re also a visible reminder that Holland is full of stories and identities that deserve space and joy. I recognize the privilege I have every day that this space is comfortable for people who will see books on our shelves that will make them ask questions or learn something new. My hope is that Bluestocking continues to be that kind of place: fiercely independent, deeply rooted in community, a little bit of "that bookstore" where you'll learn something you may not expect, but always evolving to meet the needs of the people who walk through the doors.