Thinking of bookshops as cultural civic centres
From an article by Stanford Social Innovation Review
There is an independent bookstore movement in USA that believes the future of bookstores lies in their ability to serve as thriving community spaces. What does this look like?
The past few decades have been a roller coaster for the book industry especially given Amazon which now sells approximately 50 percent of all print books in the United States, and e-books comprise 11 percent of all books sold.
Despite this, independent bookstores have proven to be resilient. A diverse swath of people in the industry, from booksellers to writers to publishers, are invested in the continued growth of independent as cultural community centres. A small group of these convened a two-day digital conference in October 2021 called Reimagining Bookstores. This event helped to coalesce the movement’s vision and stakeholders. The organizers anticipated 200 participants—however, more than 600 registered and 350 attended.
“Reimagining Bookstores is a movement for strengthening communities, deepening literacy, and paying living wages,” says Praveen Madan, conference co-convener and CEO of Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, California.
The conference brought together attendees in an open-space digital format where participants suggested several topics and met in breakout groups for discussion. Some groups have continued to meet regularly via Zoom. “Meeting with bookstore owners from the conference each month to discuss marketing best practices has been a big benefit,” says Brad Jones, co-owner of BookSmart. “Gaining knowledge from owners of bookstore co-ops, a structure that we’re considering, has helped us think about our future.”
Funding for projects is flowing from diverse sources. Projects such bookstores in book-desert locations, underrepresented booksellers, and innovative models such as Beyond Books, a community storytelling project that aims to effect positive social change. A group of 10 to 15 independent bookstores will launch a series of events, displays, and other experiences around socially relevant themes tailored to their respective communities. Independent bookstores “need to have a broader vision and not just be a channel for publishers.”
Read the full article here.
The High Street is a social experience, not just a retail space. Businesses need to engage their community more - not just try to sell products and services - offering events and experiences that attract and engage. The bookstore example above shows that there are great opportunities to re-imagine our local High Street as a thriving community hub.
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From an article by Stanford Social Innovation Revi, 07/06/2023