Canadian Independent Bookstore Day 2021
Book Nerd by Holly Maguire, on display at Owl’s Nest Books in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Happy Saturday!
We interrupt our regularly scheduled Small Press Saturday series this weekend to gush about Canadian Independent Bookstore Day!
Initiated by the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, Canadian Independent Bookstore Day is an annual celebration to promote independent bookstores. Across the country indie bookstores have different activities planned to celebrate both online and in store – though we recommend you all partake of the online component since we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Most indie’s offer online shopping with safe curbside pick-up and delivery options.
Shopping with your local independent is so important as these small bookstores do so much for the local reading and writing community, for small presses, for local book clubs, and for Canadian authors with events, in-store promotions, and handselling that isn’t done by big box retailers. Indie booksellers LOVE books and LOVE talking about books with you. Your dollars support local staff and the local economy.
We could literally gush for hours about how indie bookstores have enhanced our lives here at the Butterflies and Aliens Library and how integral they are to relationship-building within the reading and writing communities across the country.
In the early months of the pandemic, Don Gorman of Rocky Mountain books put together a fabulous interactive map of local bookstores across Canada, so if you aren’t sure where the closest indie is located this map will help you.
So, please celebrate with us and treat yourself to some new books from your local independent today – you won’t regret it and your local bookstore will be so grateful
Happy Shopping and Happy Reading!
– Stacey and Winston
Our Butterfly-in-Chief outside Owl’s Nest Books in Calgary.
Meanwhile in Edmonton, our Head Alien had to pop by the Daisy Chain Book Co.
And some new acquisitions from Audreys Books in Edmonton… The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng, No Police = Know Future edited by James Beamon, and the archeo by Nick Bantock.
Until we can return to freely and slowly browsing our favourite bookstores in person, a scented candle called “Old Bookstore” for you to bring home.
We also fully support all things book adjacent here at the Butterflies & Aliens Library… a 1000 piece puzzle titled “A Day at the Bookstore.”
Some reasons to look up your local Canadian indie bookseller!
