Who We Are
The Bookworm is an independent, family owned bookstore, serving Elkhart since 1974. We have two stories of floor to ceiling bookshelves, with a wide selection of books. We aim to help put the right book in the hands of every reader.
Our History
Opening
In 1974, Karol Phillips started The Bookworm with her mom. It started with a cart of her own books that she sold to people in her neighborhood. When Karol’s collection of books became too big for a neighborhood stand, she rented a storefront and opened The Bookworm along with “The Tapeworm”, where you could rent VHS tapes. Soon after the store moved to it’s longstanding location on Bower Street where Karol ran The Bookworm for the next 30 years.
New Ownership
Carolina Preciado grew up in Portland, Oregon, home of many great bookstores, the most famous of which is Powell’s, the Portland landmark that takes up a whole city block. Carolina shopped in independent bookstores with her family her whole life, so when she moved to Elkhart the first thing she did was find the local bookstore. Her family quickly became regulars. In 2015, Karol decided she was ready to retire. She approached Carolina and asked her if she would be interested in buying the store; The Bookworm was her legacy and she wanted to make sure she left it in the hands of someone she could trust, another bookworm. Carolina bought the store with her two sisters, Patricia and Julie.
The Move
In 2017, The Bookworm moved into 128 S Main St. in Downtown Elkhart. Carolina, Patricia and Julie visited other bookstores and came up with ideas for their new space. A family friend built the beautiful custom bookshelves and wood floors. They spent the next few weeks moving boxes of books into the new two story shop. The Bookworm has been a part of Downtown Elkhart ever since.
About the owners
Carolina
Along with being a bookstore owner, Carolina is a doula, midwifery student and mom. Outside of work her favorite things to do are travel and read at the beach.
Patricia
Patricia lives in San Jose, CA, she has three daughters and works as a tax accountant. Her favorite genres to read are Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Julie
Julie lives in Portland, Oregon, she’s a bilingual lawyer and she owns an interpreting business. She loves to read historical fiction with strong female leads. She spends her free time with her daughter.