Baby born in bookshop

B&N In-Store Delivery: A Healthy Baby Boy
Shelf Awareness

On Friday, a pregnant woman looking for books at a Torrance, Calif., Barnes & Noble left instead with a new son. Within minutes of arriving at the store, the woman went into labor; firefighters were called to the scene and helped deliver a healthy boy in the B&N lobby, the AP reported.

Torrance Fire Department Captain Steve Deuel said that firefighters were considering whether to take the woman to the hospital or prepare for an immediate delivery, when "the baby made that decision for them," he said. "Occasionally, nature writes the script, not us. This was a good Friday night for all of us."

Making for an unusual bricks-and-mortar bookselling experience, some 20 customers and others gathered to watch, and employees asked that they not take pictures or video while paramedics put up a cloth to give some privacy. Store manager Marchelle Hughes told the AP, "That is a really awkward event to do in public. At the same time, it's a really tender moment, and I think everybody wanted to share that." She added that the staff finished its shift with "a positive vibe."

Mother and son, who remained unnamed, are reportedly doing well. No word on whether the boy will be named Barnes or Noble or both.