Four independent bookstores in the St. Louis metro area announced Wednesday that they are forming the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance. The group intends to raise awareness among both publishers and consumers of the independent bookstores in the region, host special literary events for St. Louis-area audiences; purchase joint advertising; and advocate at the local and state levels on issues affecting all independent bookstores.
The charter members of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance include Left Bank Books, Pudd’nhead Books, and Subterranean Books, which are all in St. Louis proper, as well as Main Street Books in suburban St. Charles. The group’s formation was inspired by Subeterranean Book’s recent announcement that they would close later this year if sales did not pick up. Its charter members are talking up the Alliance to the approximately 15 other independent booksellers of new and used books in the area, and expect at least some of them to sign on.
“Independent bookstores have common interests,” said Jarek Steele, a Left Bank Books co-owner, “We have more to gain from promoting each other than just working in our own bookstores.”
The group officially launched on Facebook on Tuesday, Feb. 15, and will expand its online presence by putting up a website. The website will provide a monthly list of St. Louis-area bestsellers; a calendar of literary events throughout the metro; a city-wide reading group; videos and blogs about books bookselling news; resources for local authors. Consumers will be able to purchase on the website print books from any one of the stores, as well as Google eBooks from Left Bank and Subterranean. Books featured on the website will be linked to ABA’s IndieBound e-commerce program.
The Alliance will host two kick-off events this spring: a “technology petting zoo” on March 24, followed by the “St. Louis Indie Bookstore Cruise” on May 7.
The technology petting zoo on March 24 will be held at Left Bank. Booksellers from all the Alliance bookstores will explain how various e-readers work, followed by demonstrations on how to download Google e-books from independent bookstore websites.
The St. Louis Indie Bookstore Cruise bus tour will depart the morning of May 7 from Pudd’nhead Books and travel to Left Bank; lunch at a local restaurant will follow. The tour will then proceed on to Subterranean and Main Street before returning to Pudd’nhead. Each bookstore stop will include author events, refreshments, and give-aways.
