Over the last few weeks I’ve come across two stories about how the rumors of the death of independent bookstores have been greatly exaggerated.
Bookstores Escape from Jaws of Irrelevance (James Sullivan, Boston Globe)
How Independent Bookstores Thrived in Spite of Amazon (Carmen Nobel, Quartz)
Upon further investigation, it turns out that some of the story behind the new wave of publicity is local. Here’s a video about Porter Square Books, one of my local bookstores, and it includes an interview with Harvard Business School faculty Ryan Raffaelli. He is responsible for some well publicized research about the recent resurgence of independent bookstores, and he explains how they are examples of how industries facing shifting business models can adapt by focusing on the “3 C’s” of community, curation, and convening.
Harvard Business School (YouTube Channel)
Harvard Business School (Official Website)
Here’s a link to an older article about Raffaelli’s research on independent bookstores and how they serve as excellent examples of “Technology Re-Emergence.”
There are also many stories on YouTube about how other specific independent bookstores are doing well. For example, here’s one about The Last Bookstore in LA.
CGTN America (YouTube Channel)
CGTN America (Official Website)
During my (de)tour into independent bookstores, I tripped over this 360° video of Livaria Lello in Portugal. It was frequented by J.K. Rowling when she taught English in Porto and is rumored to be the inspiration for the Flourish and Blotts bookstore in Harry Potter.
Room for Books (and Magic) (The New York Times, YouTube)
So hooray for independent bookstores, and don’t forget to support your local bookstore!
