Books are a critical tool for educating people on diverse experiences and perspectives, promoting representation and informing critical conversations. Increasingly though, the most important and representative books are being challenged and banned in the U.S. Local independent bookstores are the key to keeping important books in the community and people should continue to support them.
Independent bookstores serve as a community resource in many ways; they are able to stock books that directly align with community needs and serve as a hub for the community through their events and initiatives. This might mean supporting local authors and publishers or selling books with characters or themes that align with the identities of community members. Chain bookstores that sell on a national level cannot do this in the same way. Additionally, locally–owned businesses keep money in the community and allow customers to support their friends and neighbors.
In 2023, promoting books on diverse topics — and, similarly, the booksellers who distribute these books — have become increasingly important. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2023, the American Library Association saw a 20% increase in book challenges compared to the same period in 2022, which had the largest number of reported book bans since the ALA started compiling this data 20 years ago. These books were largely written by or about BIPOC people or members of the LGBTQ+ community. Attacks on literature by and about diverse people are dramatically on the rise. One way to stop this is to shop at independent booksellers and support BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors.
Independent bookstores have seen a resurgence since the COVID-19 pandemic with the American Booksellers Association membership growing over the past two years, reaching its highest numbers in 20 years. As of 2022, the ABA has 300 more members than it did in 2019, despite making membership requirements stricter. People must support independent booksellers so that this trend can continue in the interest of both supporting the community and promoting diverse voices.
