Main Street/Shop Local

New indie opens in eastern Illinois; Elliott Bay Café to become Little Oddfellows; river’s end welcomes cash mob; Common Good Books celebrates Poetry Month with contest winners; Thriving indies among reasons to love Missoula

Seventeen Seattle booksellers will be collaborating to crown some of their most dedicated customers as Indie Bookstore Champs.

In-store celebrations for the first annual Independent Bookstore Day on May 2 run the gamut from a Mad Hatter tea party to a literary trivia challenge to a live writing competition. 

Readers awaiting the May 2 celebration of Independent Bookstore Day can now use an interactive Independent Bookstore Day map to find the more than 350 bookstores that will be selling the event’s special literary-themed merchandise.

ABA member stores have just a few days left to sign up for the 2015 Find Waldo Local campaign, co-sponsored by Candlewick and ABA.

Independent businesses experienced strong sales growth in 2014 as more consumers embraced the “buy local” movement and ditched big companies in favor of supporting local retailers and small-scale producers, according to the 2015 Independent Business Survey, conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with Advocates for Independent Business.

Booksellers will have the opportunity to attend a Winter Institute education session offering actionable tips and advice for planning successful participation in Independent Bookstore Day, which will be celebrated this year on Saturday, May 2.

Phoenix Books to open third location; BookPeople of Moscow to take readers to Italy; Idaho booksellers offer favorite picks on local TV; Old Firehouse Books wins signing with Neil Gaiman; La Casa Azul Bookstore awarded $150,000 Mission Main Street Grant; Ken White to leave Books Inc.

Preregistration for the 2015 Find Waldo Local campaign is open through March 15. Participation is capped at 250 ABA member stores.

Booksellers making plans to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on May 2, 2015, should place their orders now for limited-edition, literary-themed merchandise developed by publishers exclusively for the event. Orders are due by February 1.

Independent business owners in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, are preparing for the American Booksellers Association’s Indie Retail Crawl, a three-hour shopping bonanza featuring discounts and unique merchandise that kicks off the 10th anniversary Winter Institute.

ABA is encouraging all bookstore members to complete the annual Independent Business Survey. A link to the survey was sent to stores in an e-mail from ABA CEO Oren Teicher on January 7.

A strong kickoff on Small Business Saturday launched a successful national holiday season for independent bookstores, boosted by “buy local” campaigns and widespread media coverage that trumpeted local booksellers and the unique draw of neighborhood stores.

ABA is encouraging all member stores to take part in the annual post-holiday survey conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and the Advocates for Independent Business coalition.

Denver, Colorado’s BookBar has penned a poem celebrating the joys of shopping at local, independent shops this holiday season.