Nancy Olson opened Books at Quail Corners in October 1984 with the goal to carry the best book selection possible and focus on quality rather than commercial books. Nancy\’s love of bookselling, her business acumen, promotion of local authors, and ability to attract nationally known authors and politicians to offer book signings contributed to her success.

Quail Ridge Books\’ Institutional Sales Division continues to bring current books into classrooms at the lowest possible cost to teachers. She started Books for Kids, a nonprofit that provides new books to underprivileged children. Nancy was the 2001 Publishers Weekly as Bookseller of the Year. The store received the Pannell Award for Excellence in Children’s Bookselling and the Haslam Award for Excellence in Bookselling. Nancy was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2007. She died in March 2016, and is being honored posthumously for her innovative entrepreneurial spirit.

Nancy Olson was inducted posthumously into the Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame in 2016.