Sunday, September 11, 2022 Buffalo Booksellers’ Perspective: Why shop indie bookstores?

Local bookstores are more than a business—they are tiny pockets of culture, reflecting the neighborhoods they reside in and acting as places of true community and artistic exchange. Bookstores are where we go to find the next book that will rock our world or change our perspective, and they are great places to find like-minded bibliophiles to connect with.

But don’t take our word for it—we asked Buffalo’s booksellers why it’s important to support indie bookstores, and here’s what some them had to say!

“A city’s truer inner culture can be revealed through the choices of its stacks in independent bookstores. It is a total statement when a city can support a wide mix of independently run bookstores—I hear visitors lament how their cities no longer support such small-scale vitalities.”

— Kristianne Meal, Rust Belt Books

“Well, first, you can’t beat the experience of opening, smelling, reading, and learning about books in real life. Local bookstores are here to bring people together. We’re here to start conversations. We’re here to share stories, both real and imagined. There’s also the data to show that when you spend your money in a local bookstore, more of that money goes back into your community than when you decide to buy online or from a big box bookstore.”

— Meg Howe, Alice, Ever After Books

“Local bookstores promote local writers and their books. Plus they contribute to our local economy!”

— Kenneth and Sharon Holley, Zawadi Books

“Local bookstores are more than just a place to grab a book. We are community hubs that foster the exchange of ideas. And local bookstores are on the frontlines of the fight against the latest nationwide book ban efforts, which have steadily been ramping up and show no sign of stopping. It’s more important than ever to get off Amazon and support your local bookstores.”

— Theresa Baker-Pickering, Burning Books

“Booksellers, not algorithms! Thoughtful recommendations made by passionate booksellers can’t be generated by a computer program. Our selection is never limited to“best-sellers” and marquee authors. Every independent store is a remix shaped by the owners, the staff, the customers, and the community in which it resides. Local businesses keep neighborhoods vibrant, engaged, diverse, unique and healthy!”

— Jonathon Welch, Talking Leaves Books

“Because we care so much about what words can do for people, are truly part of our community and we bring people together as we regenerate our efforts back into our neighborhoods.”

— Tom McDonnell, Dog Ears Bookstore & Cafe

Bookstores hold space for global stories while fostering community and supporting our local economy. Support your neighborhood bookstore year-round!

Header photo: FITZ Books & Waffles