Happy Independent Bookstore Day! This is a great event that celebrates indie bookstores across the United States on the last day of April. With the world in upheaval, however, the event was pushed back to this month. People are encouraged to visit and support their local bookstore, but if people are still skittish to have any form of interaction with people, don’t fret! There are some great virtual events to help celebrate this great day!
During this crisis, independent bookstores need our help more than ever. If you are looking for other great ways to celebrate the importance of indie bookstores, here are some ways that you can show your support:
Switch Your Audbile Subscription for a Libro.fm One
Libro.fm is an audiobook service that splits the profits with a local bookstore of your choice. It gives readers a chance to support your local community. Libro.fm is having a special today: if you pre-order a book in print, you get the audiobook for free!
Shop on Bookshop.Org
Similar to Libro.fm, Bookshop is an online bookstore that was designed to support local independent bookstores. The popularity grew during the COVID-19 crisis and it is meant to take back the market of sales that are handled by Amazon. You can purchase books from the independent bookstore of your choosing.
Attend Events…Virtually
Looking for something to do other than watching Netflix? There are some great virtual events that are entertaining for the whole family:
Middle Grade Fun at 11am (PT)
Middle-Grade Fun with Rene Watson (Ways to Make Sunshine) and illustrator Nina Mata (I Promise) with moderator Isaac Fitzgerald (How to Be a Pirate).
World-Building in YA Feminist Fantasy Fiction 12pm (PT)
Join bestselling YA fantasy authors Kat Cho (Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits), Rena Barron (Kingdom of Souls and Reaper of Souls), and Rebecca Kim Wells (Shatter the Sky). Moderator: Abby Rauscher of Books Are Magic!.
Alone Together: Stories of Love, Grief and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 3pm (PT)
Join co-hosts Jennifer Haupt, editor of Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19, and Garth Stein, Author Leadership Circle Campaign Chair for Binc, for readings and conversations with Alone Together contributing authors Faith Adiele, Gayle Brandeis, W. Ralph Eubanks, Jamie Ford, Major Jackson, Sonora Jha, Scott James, Jessica Keener, Jean Kwok, Roberto Lovato, Ada Limón, Claudia Castro Luna, Kevin Sampsell, and Luis Alberto Urrea.
Bronx Independent Bookstore Day
Indie bookstores Boogie Down Books and Bronx Bound Books are teaming up with The Bronx is Reading, the organization behind the Bronx Book Festival for Bronx Independent Bookstore Day. Today, they will be joining forces for various events such as open mic, book and swag giveaways, virtual author appearances and more.
Of course…visit your local bookstore
The best way to support local bookstores is to visit one! Online bookstores are great but there is nothing better than browsing through the bookshelves and discovering your next great read.