WILMINGTON — A tiny nook in the city hopes to spark a discussion about literature.

On Wednesday, during Banned Book Week, The Banned Book Nook and Other Curiosities opened its doors on South Mulberry Street.

Husband and wife, Rachel and Adam Collins — both book lovers and Wilmington natives — got the inspiration for the store from two fronts. One was from when they visited a “Christkindlmarkt” (a Christmas market that features food, crafts, and items for sale from open-air stalls) in Detroit, Michigan last year.

“Somebody had a little stall that just focused on banned books. And I thought that could be a concept for a bigger store. So we started collecting banned books and it evolved into, you know, you need more than just the banned books,” she said, adding she wasn’t aware she opened the store during Banned Book Week.

The other inspiration came from Rachel’s grandmother — Lucille Gaddis — who had a used bookstore in Wilmington in the late 80s and early 90s called the Book Nook.

“It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do,” said Rachel Collins.

Before their Book Nook, Rachel was a pharmacy technician in Dayton for over 20 years before stepping down due to health issues. Adam worked at the NAPA store in Wilmington for 20 years and currently works at JEGS Performance in Columbus. Rachel told the News Journal that now seemed like the right time to start it.

While the store does feature banned books and highlights them, it isn’t solely focused on them. It does feature a variety of books as well.

Rachel thought maybe the banned book part would’ve been just an “eye catch.” But on opening day, many locals showed up and many of the banned books were purchased.

“I expected to get a lot of people coming in going ‘Oh, ha ha, I didn’t know that was banned.’ But we actually sold a good percentage of our banned books (on Wednesday),” she said.

Adam Collins said both of them feel that things shouldn’t be censored “just to get rid of them.” In regards to whether something is age-appropriate or not, Adam said they’re hoping the store opens these conversations not only between parents and their children but also among community members at large. Rachel advised the banned books they have aren’t all banned on a grand scale, some are banned on a small scale such as certain school districts.

The two added another reason for highlighting the banned books was a recent string of ban attempts across the country.

“Not that it’s never been a problem, but it’s starting to be more on the forefront,” she said.

Adam believes denying people access won’t allow people to “think outside the box.”

The two don’t have any immediate plans for the store, but do hope to have some bigger community involvement. Adam advised they talked about possibly sponsoring a “banned book movie night” at the Murphy Theatre where they show a film adaptation of a banned book. Adam also said they plan to involve themselves more in the downtown community.

For more information, visit The Banned Book Nook and Other Curiosities Facebook page.

Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574