New York City is known for its bustling streets, towering skyscrapers, and diverse culture. But amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, there is a growing community that is standing up for one common cause – the love of books. Independent bookstores, once thought to be a dying breed, are making a comeback in the Big Apple and across the country. These small businesses are not only providing a space for book lovers to gather and explore new literature, but they are also becoming a powerful force in the fight against book bans and the promotion of diverse voices.
One of these bookstores making a difference is White Rose Books & More, located in Kissimmee, Florida. Co-founded by Erin Decker and Tania Galiñanes, this bookstore opened its doors last fall and has quickly become a beacon of resistance against book bans. The store is aptly named after a resistance group in Nazi Germany and features a section dedicated to banned books such as Maia Kabobe’s Gender Queer, Jonathan Evison’s Lawn Boy, and John Green’s Looking for Alaska. Decker, a former middle school librarian, was tired of seeing books being pulled from shelves and wanted to make a difference. Along with Galiñanes, she came up with the idea of opening a bookstore to ensure that students had access to these banned books.
White Rose Books is just one of the many independent bookstores that are thriving in the ever-expanding and diversifying world of bookselling. Despite a slow year for the industry in 2023, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) has seen a continuous increase in membership over the years. It currently stands at 2,433 members, which is more than 200 from the previous year and nearly double since 2016. The ABA also reports that around 190 new bookstores are set to open over the next two years.
According to Allison Hill, CEO of the ABA, the numbers are strong and there is a diverse pipeline of new stores to come. She explains that people are opening bookstores for various reasons, such as opposing book bans, championing diversity, and even pursuing new careers after the pandemic. She also mentions that some are opening bookstores to give back to their community, while others simply love books.
These new members of the ABA are a diverse group, ranging from romance-oriented bookstores like That’s What She Read in Mount Ayr, Iowa, to Seven Stories in Shawnee, Kansas, managed by 15-year-old Halley Vincent, to over 20 Black-owned bookstores. This diversity is also reflected in the types of bookstores that are emerging. For example, Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena, California, is named after the late Black science fiction author Octavia Butler and offers a space for the community to gather, enjoy a cup of coffee, and find unique products from local artisans.
Leah Johnson, author of the award-winning young adult novel You Should See Me In a Crown, was troubled by the rise in book bans and the lack of outlets for diverse voices. In response, she founded Loudmouth Books, one of several independent bookstores to open in Indianapolis. Johnson explains that she never dreamed of opening a bookstore, but she saw a need and had to fill it.
While most of these new bookstores are traditional brick and mortar retailers, there are also online stores like Loc’d & Lit, which aims to bring the joy of reading to the Bronx, a New York City borough that was once considered a “bookstore desert.” Other online bookstores include Be More Literature Children’s Bookshop and Liberation Is Lit, a used books seller. Nick Pavlidis, a publisher, ghost writer, and trainer of ghost writers, launched Beantown Books in 2023 and has since opened a small physical store in suburban Boston. His goal is to eventually own multiple bookstores and create a space for authors to host events.
While independent bookselling has never been a reliable source of profit, the ABA has identified various concerns such as rising costs, dwindling pandemic aid, and the ongoing dominance of Amazon.com. The ABA recently filed a motion with the Federal Trade Commission to join the antitrust suit against Amazon, stating that the online retailer is able to offer prices that independent bookstores cannot match without sacrificing a sustainable margin or incurring a loss.
Opening a bookstore requires initiative and a willingness to take risks. Decker and Galiñanes had
