The Fate of Indy Bookstores? Or Shoddy Journalism in Minnesota.....

I just came across an article in the MinnPost on Birch Bark Books, author Louise Erdrich's bookstore in Minneapolis. The article uses Birch Bark as an example of the troubling state of Independent Bookstores. The piece cites fallen Twin Cities indy’s including the store I used to run, Bound to be Read, and quotes my good friend Martin Schmutterer (who I worked with at Bound to be Read and who’s liver I helped assault during the ABA Winter Institute in Louisville this weekend). Be sure to read through to the comments after the article in which Erdrich and Schmutterer question the writers fairness and accuracy – both express themselves extremely well.

The piece is interesting as it poses questions about the future of independent bookstores in our communities and also throws a focus on my old book selling community of the Twin Cities. Blogger Chad Post of the University of Rochester (NY) just visited the state a few weeks ago and wrote some great posts on his blog about how rich the literary scene is in the Twin Cities. So it does beg the question? Why do all these independent bookstore struggle so mightily in the Twin Cities? Minneapolis was recently ranked the most literate city in the country, and St. Paul was also in the top 5 (Sarah corrected me in the comments section, The Mighty STP was TOP 3!). It’s so cold there 7 months out of the year that there isn’t anything else to do but read, so why the struggles?

After spending a weekend at the Winter Institute where there was a lot of talk about shopping local and subsequently reading the MinnPost article (shoddily written as it may have been) reminds me to take care in how I choose to spend my dollars. I'm not implying we should only shop and buy from independent locally owned businesses, but what I am implying is that you are making a decision when you don’t, and those decisions have consequences. If you love your local businesses - buy from them.

Here ends my sermon.

-L