IndieBound
Posted by: Misha Stone
One of the great things about independent bookstores is that you will usually find bookstore employees who care about books and know their stuff. Not that these book people can’t also sometimes be found in big box or mall bookstores, but book knowledge isn’t the premium there (in my experience–but I will fully admit to being a bookstore snob).
What I also love about the independent bookstores I frequent most are the staff recommendations. I love displays of the favorite books of the people who work there and the little handwritten notes that pepper the displays and shelves, begging me to take another look. I stole this “Shelf Talker” idea for my own library–although ours are typed.
But I just remembered another gem for readers and book groupies that can be found in independents as well–IndieBound newsletters with staff recommendations from bookstore workers all over the country! These newsletters are worth picking up or checking out online.
Indie booksellers, like librarians, often hear about the hot new titles before anybody else does, so these lists can be invaluable. So pick one up or check these lists out online!
And don’t forget to support your local independent bookstore and your local library! They need it now more than ever.
