Walking through rows of books offers readers the opportunity to discover a wide range of titles. Whether they are finding hidden gems, the latest release, the latest BookTok trend, or simply strolling, books remain a valued source of information for many individuals. While large retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target, or Amazon offer convenience and selection, they lack the distinctive character of independent bookstores.
According to the American Booksellers Association, there are more than 2,433 independent bookstores throughout the United States. This number has doubled since 2016. There are many reasons why independent bookstores are important. Some of these reasons include uniqueness, the shaping of community, supporting local businesses, and getting book recommendations that one will not find elsewhere.
Novel Bay Booksellers, located in Sturgeon Bay, has taken another view on why independent bookstores are important. “Especially in today’s climate, where books are being banned and access to books is being limited, especially of books of a certain nature, with independent bookstores, we can purchase and sell what we like. So, we really are keeping a lot of these books that would otherwise be not allowed in public libraries, public schools, we’re allowing access.” Novel Bay Booksellers said. According to PEN America, since 2021, there have been over 16,000 book bans within public schools across the U.S. Independent bookstores, like Novel Bay Booksellers, are providing access for minority or overlooked voices by selling their books.
Similarly, Yardstick, located in Algoma, provided another reason why independent bookstores are important. “We want to make sure that books are available for everyone, different types of people who are underrepresented and carry a little bit of everything and we hope that we offer books for a wide range of folks, but also represent for those who don’t have the ability to kind of search out or understand what’s going on with the rest of the country,” Yardstick said.
When asking avid reader Katie O’Flynn if her preferences have changed when shopping for books, she said, “My preference has shifted more towards local bookstores as I’ve gotten older and have understood money more. I would so much rather spend my hard-earned money on an ethical business run by people in my community than throw it at a huge corporation.”
Another reason why independent bookstores are important is the formation of a community within a community. For Novel Bay, this is one of the many reasons why working at an independent bookstore is so rewarding. “Seeing the community here in Sturgeon Bay, the community of booksellers, the community of book lovers. It’s just a lovely, kind community, and just watching how everyone supports each other.” They also went on to state, “In our community, we do a lot of fundraisers. We really support both locally and nationally. People will come to us for, you know, donations or for advertisement in the window or just to come and chat.”
Within Yardstick, Heidi Raak, the owner, contributed her own reason why working in a bookstore is rewarding. “I love just broadly working for myself and being able to do whatever I want and when I make mistakes, it’s my fault. I love books, so it’s genuinely amazing to be surrounded by them and get to see the new books come in,” Raak said.
Within the world of social media, book lovers may have come across the phrase ‘BookTok,’ where readers are sharing their favorite books and their opinions. When asked about how they keep up with the latest trends and releases, Novel Bay Booksellers employee Dani said, “The owner, my coworkers, and I all kind of have a combination of keeping our eyes on different releases. We are in line with the American Booksellers Association and the Midwestern Independent Booksellers Association. So, we’re able to get access to that promotional material. We also try to keep an eye on social media and see what’s selling and what people are interested in.” The shop also tailors its offerings to what people are asking for, what the regulars recommend, or what visitors suggest. They try to stock up with what they have and order what they do not.
There are many ways to get involved or support a local bookstore. “Buying books, visiting the bookstores, talking to other people, word of mouth goes a really long way, chatting with the booksellers,” Dani from Novel Bay Booksellers said. Social media plays a role in getting word out. By engaging with social media, “…that gets us a boost, which gets more eyes on us, which means people who are visiting see us and know we’re here,” said Dani.
O’Flynn also stated, “I think it’s very important to support local businesses when buying books. I always try to hit a local shop to see if I can find what I want before heading to Target or Barnes & Noble.”