SHEILA ALLEN AVELIN, OWNER
Sheila opened Big Blue Marble in 2005, the same year she gave birth to her child, Zivia - while it has turned out okay in the long run, she advises against doing both things at the same time and is grateful for the support of her spouse, Alexandra Volin Avelin. Many years before opening Big Blue Marble, Sheila worked at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC and continued to work in customer-centered retail at Rosie’s Yarn Cellar while in grad school. She brushed up on her bookstore skills at Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative in Madison, WI after deciding to open her own store. She also has a past life as a teacher at Friends Select School and in Penn's writing program, where she taught while working on (but not completing) her PhD in English literature. Sheila reads widely and stays tuned into the interests our neighborhood of readers, always looking for books that delight and inform.
JENNIFER WOODFIN, MANAGER
Jennifer Woodfin is our general manager and has been at the store since it opened. Her wife is Jennifer Sheffield and they have a kid named Micah who loves books. Jennifer loves kids books: board books, picture books, early readers, comics and graphic novels, kids science books, chapter books, young adult. She also reads science fiction, science books, and books about natural history. Right now she is delighting in the explosion of wonderful books representing LGBTQIA+ readers at all age levels. She worked for Chris Saad of Chris’ Corner while in grad school, and at Book Corner while in high school. This is Jennifer's third and longest bookstore job.
Wendy Gale, Events Coordinator
Wendy Gale has been a mall bookstore worker, rare book cataloger, and library assistant over the years -- this is her first time at an indie bookstore, and she's particularly excited about the amazing community surrounding and supporting Big Blue Marble. Wendy mostly reads fantasy, science fiction, and YA, with other choices often based on recommendations from friends, family (including her husband Neal and kids Bronwen & Parker), and the occasional enthusiastic stranger! When not reading, she enjoys playing early music on an assortment of wind instruments, and attending medieval reenactment events.