Some of my best early memories involve books.

The smell of them. The touch. Turning those pages and brushing my fingers along the spines. It was a young word-lovers ritual.

So was saving up my “hard-earned” money to buy them. I would save my allowances each week until they were enough to purchase a new book and then my mom would, willingly, drive me to the bookstore to pick one out.

I’ve supported bookstores all my life because they have supported me. They offer me the books I so love, filled with characters and worlds that I can only imagine. They offer wonder and delights that are only to be found within the pages of a book.

April 29th is Independent Bookstore Day this year. What’s that, you may ask? It’s an annual celebration of indie bookshops around the United States. And this year, in 2023, it’s the 10th anniversary of the book-lovers holiday.

Support your own local bookstore:

1. Support them by buying a book. That’s why they exist and nothing makes them more pleased than providing a book to someone who wants it. If possible, do it in person. If you’re unable, or if your local store is still operating with limited hours, shop online or place an order over the phone. It all still counts, today of all days! Don’t need a book right now? Buy a gift card for a rainy day.
2. Join an event. Many bookshops are hosting their own today. Check out the list, here to see if your state has participating locations.
3. Follow your bookstore on social media. Even better, share their posts on a regular basis! Helping to spread the word is half the battle for a small business.
4. Today use the hashtags #bookstoreshoutout and #indiebookstoreday to post on social media about your bookstore. Literary selfies invited!
5. Support your bookstore with an audiobook with Libro.fm. Word on the street: Libro.fm is offering one free audiobook for new members with the code BOOKSTOREDAY when you create an account and link it to an independent bookstore of your choice! Learn more about the offer, here.

 

And because I can’t help it, here are some words about bookstores for those word-lovers among us: 

“I love walking into a bookstore. It’s like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.” ~ Tahereh Mafi

“You see, bookshops are dreams built of wood and paper. They are time travel and escape and knowledge and power. They are, simply put, the best of places.” ~ Jen Campbell

“Browsing through the shelves in bookstores or libraries, I was completely happy.” ~ Louis L’Amour

“Don’t patronize the chain bookstores. Every time I see some author scheduled to read and sign his books at a chain bookstore, I feel like telling him he’s stabbing the independent bookstores in the back.” ~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti

“His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling.” ~ Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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