As a teenager working at Copperfield's Books more than 20 years ago, Tiffany Smith often dreamed with her mother, Donna Maxwell, of owning a shop like Copperfield's one day.

"My mom and I always just loved the store from even back then," Tiffany said. "We would joke that if it ever went out of business, we'd buy it."

So when the bookstore posted a sign notifying the community it was going out of business in early 2014, Maxwell brought the idea back to her daughter.

"At first I laughed and said, 'Sure mom, because with our jobs and three kids, this is something [my husband and I] can just take on,'" Tiffany said. "I mentioned it to my husband really as more of a joke. But a few days later he sends me a text, 'You know, I've been thinking about that bookstore.'"

The Smiths met with owner Virginia Schammerhorn, who originally opened the shop with her husband in the late '80s or early '90s. After some research on small bookstores, they bought the store by the end of February 2014 and began renovations before reopening the shop April 5, 2014.

Longtime customers at Copperfield's may have noticed changes in the past year. The desk next to the store's entrance that was once piled several feet high with books as well as the dusty, packed shelves have been replaced with an open,

welcoming atmosphere, a children's area at the entrance, new flooring and a reading area with chairs near the center.

"The place before was really maximized for space [to] cram in as many shelves and books as possible," Smith said. "We really tried to optimize it more now for the customer experience."

Tiffany said one of the most significant challenges the new owners faced was developing a computerized inventory for the thousands of books on the shelves. To bring the store into the new millennium, the owners use a software program designed for small bookstores that manages the shop's inventory as well as the point-of-sale and customer credit system.

"Once we get all of the inventory done, we'll get all of the inventory online so folks will be able to go to our website and Facebook page and link directly to an online store," she said.

Taking over the business would not have been possible without Maxwell, the owner said. Smith and her husband, Shawn, both still work full-time jobs and have three children. Operating the shop on a daily basis falls on the shoulders of her retired mother.

"She has read every genre, so there's no better person to have working in a bookstore," Smith said.

Maxwell said the job has been a dream come true, and she has enjoyed partnering with her daughter on the business. She said emphasizing reading with her daughter was important at a young age.

"You want your children to learn as much as possible, and I grew up reading," Maxwell said. "I loved reading, and I wanted to pass that love to her."

Tiffany said the community has embraced the new owners and business continues to grow. Despite the store's initial success, Tiffany said there are still many changes she hopes to implement, including growing the store's online customer base and offering more activities for customers.

Smith said expansion is also an option if space became available. The store already has a small room in the back the owners hope to use as meeting space for community events.

"There are so many things we want to do, but it just takes time," she said. "That's been our biggest learning [curve] is the time it takes to get things done."