Gnu's Room owner Tina Tatum had no idea what the future had in store for her when she graduated from Auburn in the '70s.
She certainly didn't foresee being the owner of an eclectic, hip bookstore in Auburn.
Tatum, 53, worked at a used bookstore in Birmingham in the late '90s. It was then that this entrepreneur with a degree in marketing realized that her true calling was bound to the book business.
"I'd always wanted to have my own business," Tatum said. "I just didn't know what I wanted to do exactly, and so it's like 'ding,' you know. The light went on, and it's like, 'OK, this is what I want to do.'"
Ten years later, Tatum was able to make her calling a reality.
Brought to Auburn by a job that didn't work out, she began working part time at the Gnu's Room.
In September 2007, Tatum and her partner Kelley Prickett took over the store when the former owner, Bill Shirling, retired.
"It's just a pleasure for me to come to work every day," Tatum said.
Since 2007, Tatum has expanded Gnu's Room, bringing in more books and even adding an in-store coffee shop to the mix.
"I think we have a good bookstore," Tatum said. "We have a really nice selection of books that you won't find anywhere else in town. We have, I think, the best coffee in town. We have the most reasonable prices, but more than anything else, it's about conversation."
Tatum said she has always had an appreciation for the arts, especially literature.
"It's weird because my parents were not particularly arts-inclined," Tatum said, "but once I was exposed to it, I don't know, it just spoke to me."
Tatum said being around books makes her happy and brings her peace.
"I don't know how to describe it," she said. "It's almost like a Zen thing for me."
Tatum said her goal is to create an environment where people can come together and share ideas.
"It's about people meeting people, learning about things they might have thought they had absolutely no interest in, just because it is presented in an interesting way," Tatum said.
Tatum said she strives to make customers feel comfortable and welcome.
"To me this is kind of my living room, if you will," Tatum said. "When you walk in, I want you to have a good experience."
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