‘From the Vault’, a renovated trailer transformed into a mini bookshop, travels to neighborhoods, birthday parties and community events throughout Central Texas.
WACO, Texas — Jennifer Smith, the owner and founder of From the Vault, converted a 7′ by 16′ trailer into a book lover’s miniature paradise holding about 500 books and other reading merchandise.
From the Vault is available for private events, including local author signings, birthday celebrations and public events happening throughout Central Texas.
But Smith said the venture is about more than just selling books.
“It was just kind of a way to bring the storytelling of books to the community,” she said. “Books have a way of bringing people together, so it’s been really fun getting out into the community and meeting book lovers.”
What started as a hobby during the pandemic has evolved into a full-fledged business.
“I really got into reading around COVID, you know, we all had a lot of downtime around that area,” Smith said. “It quickly became a passion.”
Smith said she drew inspiration from similar mobile bookstores she discovered on social media in larger cities.
“I just kept seeing them on Instagram and I was like, you know what, I think Waco could use this,” she said.
The mobile bookshop operates with a generator and propane system, allowing Smith to park and open for business virtually anywhere in the area. The trailer features special rods that secure the books while traveling between locations.
Smith said one of the biggest challenges is curating her inventory within the limited space available.
“The hardest part is finding the shelf space for it. I wish I could have it all,” she said.
From The Vault can be reached out to about its services at hello@fromthevaultbooks.com or the business’s Facebook page.