It’s Independent Bookstore Day!

O
 ..frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! The number of independent bookstores in the U.S. has jumped by 70% over the past five years. According to the American Booksellers Association, 422 new bookstores opened in 2025 alone.[1] That’s fabulous news for these sanctuaries of knowledge and imagination.

Book lovers of all stripes know the joy of discovering a new favorite novel. Or sifting through the shelves for hours to find a story (more likely a few of them) that piques your interest, and teaches you something new.

Your local bookseller will definitely have some recommendations. And there might be a cozy corner with a comfy chair to curl up in once you’ve found the perfect book. You don’t get that welcoming vibe from Amazon.

But keep in mind that bookstores are more than simply a place to pick up your next read…   though, that’s clearly pretty great all by itself.  As Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, reminds us:

Independent bookstores are vital hubs of creativity and community.[2]

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Many indie bookshops take on the role of a town square. And offer events like book signings with an emerging author, discussion groups that dive into the latest bestseller, or readings for children –  events which foster connections that bring together communities of all ages and demographics.

They function as what sociologist Ray Oldenburg famously termed “third places.” [3] Third places are locations outside of work and home, where people can gather and connect. Bookstores have clearly become more than just places to buy books, though that’s obviously a big part of it. They’re a place to meet other people, foster conversation, and bolster neighborhood ties. 

Independent booksellers also play a significant role in the battle against book banning. They consistently take a stand against censorship, and champion books that have been challenged or banned.

They’re a critical part of the ecology of reading and access to information. Because bookstores play a crucial role in providing physical access to books in states where public libraries are under threat of censorship, like Texas, Missouri, and Florida.[4]

So, Join In The Nation-wide Celebration
At Your Local Indie Bookstore.

Kick up your heels at one of the more than 40 bookstore crawls being hosted across the country. Head to the street fair your local bookstore may have organized. Or take in one of the “Meet the Author” events that are frequently part of Independent Bookstore Day celebrations.

But don’t limit your jubilation about the awesomeness of independent bookstores to today. Make a visit to your local indie bookstore part of your usual routine.

Here’s a list of independent bookstores
across the country to help with that:

Alaska

• Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska

Arizona

• Bookmans in Tucson, Mesa, Phoenix and Flagstaff

California

• Bart’s Books in Ojai
• Bodhi Tree Bookstore† in Los Angeles (eventually West Hollywood)
• The Book Shop in Hayward
• Book Soup in West Hollywood
• Booksmith in San Francisco
• Borderlands Books in San Francisco
• Bound Together Anarchist Collective Bookstore in San Francisco
• City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco
• Copperfield’s Books in Napa
• The Castro (San Francisco)
• Burbank
• Green Apple Books & Music in Richmond District (San Francisco)
• Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park
• The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles
• Libélula Books & Co. in Barrio Logan, San Diego
• Marcus Books in San Francisco and Oakland
• Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego and Redondo Beach
• The Other Change of Hobbit in Berkeley
• Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural in Sylmar (Los Angeles)
• Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena

Colorado

• Tattered Cover in Denver
• The Book Stop in Wheat Ridge, Colorado | Wheat Ridge]]

Connecticut

• J. Julia Booksellers in Madison

District of Columbia

• Busboys and Poets
• Kramers (bookstore)
• MahoganyBooks
• Politics and Prose
• World Bank Infoshop

Florida

• Haslam’s Bookstore in St. Petersburg
• Open Books & Records† in Miami Beach

Georgia

• Charis Books & More in Decatur
• For Keeps (bookstore) in Atlanta

Illinois

• Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago
• Seminary Co-op in Chicago
• Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago
• Women & Children First in Chicago

Indiana

• Better World Books in Goshen and Mishawaka
• Boxcar Books in Bloomington

Iowa

• ACME Comics & Collectibles in Sioux City
• Prairie Lights in Iowa City

Kansas

• Eighth Day Books in Wichita
• Rainy Day Books in Fairway

Kentucky

• Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington

Louisiana

• Iron Rail Book Collective in New Orleans

Maine

• Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops (nine locations)
• Weiser Antiquarian Books in York

Maryland

• Daedalus Books in Columbia
• Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse in Baltimore

Massachusetts

• The Bookmill in Montague
• Grolier Poetry Bookshop in Cambridge
• Harvard Book Store in Cambridge
• Lucy Parsons Center in Boston
• The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley
• Schoenhof’s Foreign Books in Cambridge
• That’s Entertainment in Worcester

Michigan

• John K. King Books in Detroit
• Schuler Books & Music in Grand Rapids

Minnesota

• Amazon Bookstore Cooperative† in Minneapolis
• Birchbark Books in Minneapolis
• Common Good Books in Saint Paul
• DreamHaven Books in Minneapolis
• Mayday Books in Minneapolis
• SubText: a Bookstore in Saint Paul
• Mager’s & Quinn in Minneapolis

Mississippi

• Square Books in Oxford

Missouri

• Left Bank Books in St. Louis

Nevada

• Gambler’s Book Shop in Las Vegas
• The Writer’s Block in Las Vegas

New York

• Albertine Books in Manhattan
• Bluestockings in Manhattan (1999–)
• Community Bookstore in Park Slope, Brooklyn
• A Different Light† in Manhattan
• Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in Manhattan
• Levine Books and Judaica in Manhattan
• The Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan
• Pomander Book Shop in Manhattan
• Printed Matter, Inc in Manhattan
• Mark’s Bookshop in Manhattan
• Strand Bookstore in Manhattan (1927–)
• Unnameable Books in Brooklyn

North Carolina

• Firestorm Cafe & Books in Asheville
• Internationalist Books in Chapel Hill

Ohio

• The Book Loft of German Village in Columbus
• Two Dollar Radio Headquarters in Columbus

Oregon

• The Duck Store in Eugene
• Powell’s Books in Portland
• Rose City Book Pub

Pennsylvania

• City Books in Pittsburgh
• Giovanni’s Room Bookstore in Philadelphia
• Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem
• Wooden Shoe Books and Records in Philadelphia

South Carolina

• Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg

Texas

• BookPeople in Austin

Washington

• Chin Music Press in Pike Place Market, Seattle
• Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle
• Third Place Books in 3 locations Lake Forest Park, Northeast Seattle, & South Seattle
• Left Bank Books in Pike Place Market, Seattle

West Virginia

• Taylor Books in Charleston, West Virginia

Wisconsin

• Renaissance Books in Milwaukee
• A Room of One’s Own in Madison
• Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee  [5]

#independent bookstore day

Endnotes:

[1] “Indie bookstores are making a shocking, triumphant comeback.” December 18, 2025 Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/91461983/indie-bookstores-are-making-a-shocking-triumphant-comeback 

[2] IndieBound.org https://www.indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day

[3] Broad, Kate. “A Refuge From Censorship: Why Independent Bookstores Will Save Us.” Literary Hub. July 23, 2025. https://lithub.com/a-refuge-from-censorship-why-independent-bookstores-will-save-us/

[4]  Fernando Alfonso III, “How independent bookstores help in the fight against book banning and why it matters.”  OPB.org  September 24, 2022. https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/24/independent-bookstores-banned-books/

[5] “List of independent bookstores in the United States.” Wikipedia.org   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_independent_bookstores_in_the_United_States

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Images:

Independent booksellers.  Photo by Peter Robbins on Unsplash

Engage with your local indie bookseller: Photo by Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash