Independent Bookstore Day is a holiday observed annually on the last Saturday in April. This day encourages people to visit their local independent bookstore. Why? Because independent bookstores are important businesses in a city, town, or neighborhood.

They not only bring a unique experience to the reader but also help curate their book collections so that readers get exactly what they want. They’re also important to the local economy. In other words, these small bookstores are vitally important, and we should all take the time to support them on this day, as well as the rest of the year.

The History of Independent Bookstore Day

This holiday was originally created by Samantha Schoech and the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association in 2015. Schoech was a writer, editor, and copywriter who wanted to see local bookstores get the attention they deserved.

As a result, this holiday was born. The first celebration of this holiday featured the participation of over 400 bookstores. The following year, even more bookstores took part. Nowadays, it’s an event celebrated by hundreds of bookstores all across the U.S.

This holiday doesn’t just celebrate independent bookstores and encourage the reading public to visit them. It also supports traditional printed media as the world begins to move towards digital and audiobooks.

There are few things that can rival the experience of reading a printed and bound book. The feel of the page on your fingertips, the smell of it in your nose—this is something that simply can’t be rivaled by reading a book on a tablet.

Some Interesting Facts About Books

Bookstores wouldn’t exist without books, so we decided to go ahead and list some things about books that we feel all of our readers will enjoy. Although most people observing Independent Bookstore Day are probably very well-read, we’re sure there are some facts about books that they probably don’t even know. So, let’s crack open the following facts and find out what we need to know about books.

• More than 6 billion Bibles have been sold. That makes this book the most printed, sold, and read book of all time.
• “Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung” has sold over 900 million copies. That makes it the second most popular book of all time.
• In third place is the Harry Potter series, which has sold over 500 million copies.
• Over half of Icelanders read more than 8 books a year.
• Charles Dickens decorated his library with fake books.
• The number one most stolen book in the world is the Bible.

Observing Independent Bookstore Day

It’s pretty easy to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day. It’s a day during which people can visit their local bookstore and pick up a few books. Many bookstores offer specials on this day that make the experience even more worthwhile for those readers who want to participate. People should also take the time to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #IndependentBookstoreDay on social media.