As the parade passed 57th and Woodlawn shouts of “Hooray! Books!” greeted marchers carrying, well, books from the old Seminary Co-op to the new. A bagpiper accompanied faculty members delivering copies of their own works and assorted bibliophiles marking the transition from the beloved old basement labyrinth to a new location with controllable heat and natural light.

The distance between the original 5757 South University Avenue site and the Co-op’s 8,900-square-foot new home in McGiffert House at 5751 South Woodlawn is negligible, but the significance of the move demanded a symbolic gesture. The parade, two days before the Co-op’s official November 21 reopening, served as both closure and grand opener.

Like honored guests at a state dinner, authors and their books were announced to applause. Then the authors placed the books on the new front table, same as the old front table.