An interview with Mike Nicholson, Books-A-Million District Manager of New England By Millie Barnard

Book lovers in the Lewiston-Auburn area have something new to celebrate: Books-A-Million has officially opened the doors of its brand-new Auburn location, moving out of the Auburn Mall and into a larger, standalone space that promises double the selection and plenty of community-centered programming.

“This is a great opportunity for us to expand,” said Mike Nicholson, District Manager for Books-A-Million in New England. “This new location is approximately double the size of our old store, which means we can offer a much broader selection of books, toys, games, and gifts that our customers love. We’re really excited to be able to better serve the community.”

The grand opening kicked off Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by a weekend full of author signings and events. The move to a larger space also allowed the store to build out one of its most exciting new features: an expanded local interest section.

“With the new space, we’ve been able to more than double our local interest area,” Nicholson shared. “That means more books about Maine and more opportunities to support local authors. My team has done a phenomenal job curating selections that Mainers are going to love.”

That focus on community extends beyond bookshelves. Books-A-Million plans to host a local author every weekend, creating a steady calendar of events to connect readers with the writers in their backyard. “Our goal is to have a local author here every single weekend,” Nicholson said. “We believe strongly in supporting local creators, and this new store gives us the space to do that.”

The opening weekend featured a signing by Paul Doiron, the best-selling author of the Mike Bowditch mystery series, along with appearances from six other Maine authors. Future events include midnight releases for major titles—starting in September with the anticipated novel Alchemized by SenLinYu—and themed celebrations such as a “Percy Jackson birthday” party celebration later this summer.

Beyond author events, Books-A-Million also partners with schools and organizations through its book fair program, which helps local groups raise funds while encouraging reading. “It’s one of our favorite things to do,” Nicholson said. “We bring the books to the schools or organizations, host a sale on-site, and then give a portion of the proceeds back to them. It’s a great way to support local needs.”

The Auburn store is led by General Manager Johnny Yim and a team of experienced booksellers who together boast nearly 70 years of bookselling expertise. “It’s a pretty great group,” Nicholson said. “John and his team are ready to exceed expectations and give the Lewiston-Auburn area the bookstore it deserves.”

In an age where online shopping and audiobooks dominate, Nicholson says the in-store experience is thriving—thanks in part to social media trends like “BookTok” that are driving readers back to physical books. “There’s been a huge wave of enthusiasm for reading over the past few years,” he said. “We’re able to meet that demand by offering what customers actually want—whether it’s a new BookTok favorite, a special edition release, or a curated selection of Maine titles.”

Ultimately, Nicholson says the goal is simple: to build “world-class bookstores” for the communities Books-A-Million serves. “We just want to be the best bookstore we can be for the Lewiston-Auburn area,” he said. “We’re grateful for the incredible response so far, and we can’t wait to keep growing with this community.”

Books-A-Million is now located at 730 Center Street, Ste 3c, Auburn. They are open 9am – 8pm and Sundays 10am to 7pm. Call 207-786-9412 or visit their website at www.booksamillion.com/.

Pictured left to right: Glen Holmes, City of Auburn Business and Community Development Director; Denis D’Auteil,  Assistant City Manager; Stephanie Doucette, Books-A-Million Assistant Store Manager; Adanica Keene, Books-A-MillionStore Key Holder/Manager; Jay Brenchick, City of Auburn Economic Development Director; Mayor Jeffrey Harmon; Johnny Yim, Books-A-Million Store Manager; Mike Nicholson, Books-A-Million District Manager; Scott Dressed, Congressman Jared Golden’s office with Office Intern on his left; Gail Sanborn, Books-A-Million Regional Vice President; Carlene Tremblay, Senator Collins’ Office.