Books on the Common was established in 1984 by Bob and Sally Silbernagel in a tiny 450 sq. ft. space. The original building, now torn down, was located where the present Talbots is now. Bob and Sally ran the store together, putting in long hours, with help from only one part-time employee. Within a year, they became one of the first tenants in the new Copps Hill Common complex, leasing 980 square feet at the rear of the new building. Just a few years later, they boldly doubled that space and expanded into the adjacent store, for a total of nearly 2,100 square feet – above average size for an independent bookstore. The store remained in that location for 24 years.