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Independent Bookstore Day will be held all over the country in May

After the success of the 2014 California Bookstore Day, bookstores all over the country will be taking part in Independent Bookstore Day on May 2.

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Ann Hermes
A customer browses at O'Gara & Wilson, Ltd. Antiquarian Booksellers in Chicago, Illinois.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Independent bookstores are asking you to come out and celebrate your nearest store this weekend.

Independent Bookstore Day will be held on May 2 this year after the success of last year’s California Bookstore Day, which saw indie stores from the state holding special celebrations. As we previously reported, the American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher said of California Bookstore Day, “We hope to learn from their experience and determine if there is logical progression to a national bookstore day.” 

It turns out there apparently is. This year, the celebration is going national. 

According to the IBD website, 400 bookstores from all over the country are participating and the celebration will include merchandise like tea towels with quotes from author Sherman Alexie and Nora Ephron, a onesie with the words “Guess How Much I Love To Read” written on  it, and more, according to industry newsletter Shelf Awareness. 

Just about every store has something different planned. Bridgeside Books of Waterbury, Vt. will be going with a tea theme for the day “A Tea Party to celebrate OUR independence!” staff wrote on the store’s Facebook page. “The 1st nationwide celebration of Independent Bookstores! Serving teas from Vermont Liberty Tea in vintage tea cups; homemade scones and cakes; and books featuring tea!" 

Meanwhile, Chicago indie stores are working together on activities, including offering patrons a page from an unpublished story by writer Stuart Dybek.  Each Chicago-area story will be giving away a different page of the story, so to see the whole thing readers (or their friends) need to visit all the stores.

And the San Francisco Bike Coalition is sponsoring a bike tour of the city’s bookstores that will take place that day.

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