By Kelcie Lee

About four years ago, Chelsea Brown started setting up a small shelf of books in front of her garage on Saturdays. Naming it “The Celestial Library,” she said it felt like the perfect way to meet neighbors and share her overflowing book collection. Soon, lending and sharing books led to buying books and hosting story time events, which revealed the growing need for a neighborhood bookstore. With the community’s support of more than $30,000, she will fill that need by bringing a brick-and-mortar bookstore called Celestial Books to the Outer Richmond later this year.

“Over time, it just grew,” Brown said. “It was a very slow, organic process. I found myself selling used books and running out of space in the garage. Then, I decided about a year ago that I wanted to open a bookstore.”

In 2017, Brown and her partner moved to the Outer Richmond after living in studios throughout the City. With a bigger living space, she recalled not knowing what to do with all the rooms. Anyone else might have started decorating their new dining room, but not Brown. That would be her home library.

Before she knew it, books were spilling out of the room, and she felt it was time to share her library with others. Growing up in Florida, where neighborhoods were lined with porches and front yards, Brown felt a sense of charm and familiarity when people opened camping chairs in their garages and driveways when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Taking this idea, she started The Celestial Library, circulating books among neighbors and creating a staple on Cabrillo Street and 46th Avenue on Saturdays.

“It does feel very San Francisco,” Brown said. “It feels very outer avenues. It feels very chill, and it doesn’t look the best, but it’s welcoming.”

The Celestial Library only grew from there. People kept borrowing and donating both used and new books, and eventually asked to buy them. Her expansion led to the opening of her own bookseller website on bookshop.org and live story time events for children.

With the help of local business owners and community members, Brown started bouncing ideas around about opening up a storefront for her home library. From questions about small business loans to crowdfunding campaigns, they offered ideas, encouragement and support as Brown weighed what model would be best for her.

In November 2025, Brown started drafting a campaign on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo before launching a 60-day effort in February. She said if she didn’t raise the full $30,000 project goal within the two months, she wouldn’t get any of the money, which made it extremely “nerve-wracking.”

With a week left in the campaign and $5,000 short, Brown held a final push party with a raffle that raised more than $1,000 alone, and the rest of the $4,000 throughout the course of the event. She said she immediately felt relieved after reaching her goal and was touched by the sheer number of givers, which landed at nearly 200.

“It’s just been really emotional in that regard,” Brown said. “I really believe in grassroots movements, power of the collective, and I feel like this just demonstrated that.”

More than her love for books, Brown also said she saw a larger need in her neighborhood. With the closest established bookstores being Green Apple Books in the Inner Richmond and Black Bird Bookstore and Cafe in the Outer Sunset, Brown said the stores can feel out of reach, especially for parents.

“For how many families are moving out here, are growing out here, how many intergenerational families are continuing to be here in this neighborhood, it’s really surprising that we don’t have a general neighborhood bookstore,” Brown said.

She said she hopes to accompany her books by selling loose-leaf tea and what Brown called “sidelines,” which include accessories, journals, bath salts and cards. More than anything, she wants Celestial Books to be a cozy space to browse and host community events.

“I really believe in abundance, and I just want to be part of the activity that’s already happening in the neighborhood,” Brown said.

With the crowdfunding campaign’s close at the end of April, Brown said she’s now onto her next phase. She has been talking to commercial real estate brokers, checking Craigslist to visit storefronts and finalizing her business plan. While she wishes to open the bookstore by this summer, she is “more realistically” aiming to open by the end of the calendar year in the winter.

From a front yard hobby to a new small business, Brown said she’s excited for what this next chapter has to offer.

“What I hope is that I can encourage other people, too, to start doing something in their driveway and see where it takes them,” she said. “There’s space for all of it.”

Celestial Books plans to open in the Outer Richmond by the end of 2026, and is accepting donations through its Indiegogo campaign. Celestial Books is also selling books online at bookshop.org. Learn more at celestialbookssf.com.