Got Books?
Celebrating Independent Bookstore Day 2025 with an Origin Story
Last year, I wrote a post titled “5 Things Independent Bookstores Can Give You That Amazon Can’t” in honor of Independent Bookstore Day. The battle between the “big bad chain store” and the “small independent local business” is not a new one. The 1998 Nora Ephron film You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan anchored its story in this conflict. The movie focuses on the trend of large, impersonal chain bookstores that flourished in the late 80s and early 90s. But, it was also clearly reacting to the recent advent of Amazon, which began as an online bookstore in 1994, the internet, and what its impacts might be.
So, I got curious about how the tradition really began. Was it really a fight for survival? A classic David versus Goliath scenario? Or was it more a celebration of these small community bastions of the written word? I started poking around online and uncovered some surprising things. There were some discrepancies with dates. The fact that it is a relatively recent phenomenon. But, the most surprising was that it all started with my neighborhood bookstore, Green Apple Books! Really! It was definitely one of those “how did you not know this moments” that is both humbling and exciting.
To be fair, I only moved back to the Bay Area and into my current neighborhood a few years ago. But, still. For some reason, I felt like the tradition had been going on for decades. It’s a beautiful tribute to the vibe of Independent Bookstore Day.
How did it begin? I thought you’d never ask!
The Idea
It all started with Pete Mulvihill (CEO and co-owner of Green Apple Books) and his spouse, Samantha Schoech (author and journalist), wanting to get more people in the store. The original concept of the day was to create a day for bookstores similar to "Record Store Day." Green Apple had had a music and fiction annex for years. As Pete said, "While we never qualified to be an official Record Store Day vendor, we got our hands on some RSD releases and often had a line out the door before opening. I just thought, ‘I want a line out the door for books.’”
So, Pete pitched the idea to fellow board members of what was then called the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. The Executive Director and the board supported the idea. Schoech agreed to produce the inaugural event and went about soliciting publishing sponsors, selling swag, etc. And the first Independent Bookstore Day was born originally as California Bookstore Day in 2014, with about 100 California bookstores participating.
Success!
The day was a huge success, leading Mulvihill and Schoech to take it to the next level. Mulvihill, who was on the board of the American Booksellers Association from 2014-2020, got the organization to try it nationally, and Schoech ran the event for eight years. Hence, the day we now know as Independent Bookstore Day was launched nationally in 2015.
But I still wondered if the goal of the day was about fighting the big corporate giants. When I asked Mulvihill about the intention behind the day, he replied, “It was a hopeful mis: give readers a reason to put on some pants and get into a bookstore; appeal to that collector's mindset that fans have; highlight the joys of physically browsing a bookstore; celebrate each store's independence by having them produce their own event; etc.”
Today, the event features over 1,400 registered participating bookstores across all 50 states. The American Booksellers Association states on their website that “This national one-day party held the last Saturday in April celebrates independent bookstores across the country online and in-store. Through exclusive books and literary items, contests, cupcakes, and everything in between, it’s a party you don’t want to miss!” I couldn’t agree more!
The Difference
In the end, though, has all of this effort made a difference? In the case of “The Shop Around the Corner” in You’ve Got Mail, the lower prices that the mega store “Fox Books” could offer put the little children’s bookstore out of business. However, in the case of Independent Bookstore Day, Mulvihill shared, “That day is still usually our biggest sales day outside of late December. I can't reasonably credit IBD with anything beyond that, like more bookstores opening or growing ABA membership, though every year there are stores that hold their grand opening on booksellers' annual holiday.”
I might argue he is being too modest. Like all great ideas, it is an idea that started a conversation. First locally, then nationally. Yes, there have been other factors. There was a pandemic that initially triggered a desire to read, then a desire to reconnect with the community. The pandemic also fueled a rise in bookstores centered on social causes, as featured in this New York Times Article. Just this week, Good Morning America did a story on the rise of the independent bookstore. There has been an increase in romance readers, so more romance-focused shops have popped up. Outreach efforts have led to an increase in Black-owned stores joining the ABA. And, to access capital, new booksellers have tried alternative models like pop-ups and mobile bookstores, like my friends at Joyride Books in San Diego.
But, perhaps, Mulvihill put it best when he said, “Ultimately, we try to give people a reason to step away from their screens, put on some pants, and come browse to discover their next favorite book.” I hope you all find a book nook to celebrate in your neighborhood this weekend and will think fondly of mine, Green Apple Books, and how they started it all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think we need to take Mulvihill’s advice and go!
As always, thanks for reading. 💗
Do you have a favorite independent bookstore? What do you love about it? My readers and I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
ⓒ Angie Gascho 2025. All rights reserved.
Last year’s post, in case you missed it. 🙂📚
5 Things Independent Bookstores Can Give You That Amazon Can’t
Like many bookophiles, the quest for the quintessential bookstore is infinite. They are a destination sought in every location I visit. On National Independent Bookstore Day, I thought I’d share my two cents on this. I am not going to pretend I never buy anything on Amazon. I do. But my love and support for independent b…
Nice story. I haven't been to SF since 1990 (where I had my 21st birthday party) but I would pop in to the Green Apple.
I don't like most bookstores: they are full of 'trendy' books and fads, celebrity ghost-written fiction and dumbed-down pseudo-academic books with titles like, '47 composting tips from Hitler's gardeners.'
I stopped going to my local one when the owners said they'd never read Steinbeck but had two shelves dedicated to 'Romantasy.'
I'm happy to browse through second-hand stores to find hidden classics (although the authors don't get royalties that way).