ANN ARBOR, MI -- A popular downtown Ann Arbor’s bookstores closed on Friday as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus.

Literati Bookstore owners Michael and Hilary Gustafson announced in an email and social media post that the store at 124 E Washington St., and the second-floor Literati Coffee shop are closed “indefinitely, effective immediately,” out of concern for the staff and public health and safety.

“What a week. Hilary and I are a bit emotional and feel like we have some whiplash, as I’m sure many of you do, too," Michael Gustafson wrote in the email. "It is hard because we feel an intense need to come together as a community, and yet cannot do so physically. Please stay tuned to our newsletter and social media for more announcements. We hope to continue and press on, and your online support means a great deal to us.”

On Wednesday, the store announced in-store event programming and book clubs were canceled for the month in response to COVID-19 cases.

State officials announced late Thursday the number of presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan had grown to at least 12.

The store is now accepting web orders with $1 shipping. Anyone who placed an order for pick-up can have the item shipped after emailing the store an address. Gift cards will also be applied if the card number is provided, according to the email.

Literati was named the 2019 Bookstore of the Year by Publishers Weekly. The store started with 2,600 square feet, seven employees and 9,000 books and has since expanded to 4,000 square feet, more than tripling its employees to 27. It carries about 30,000 books.

For more coverage of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, visit MLive’s Coronavirus in Michigan topic page.

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PREVENTION TIPS

Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.