Watch the Video
Listen to the PodcastAccording to the American Booksellers Association, more than 600 independent bookstores opened in the U.S. last year, nearly double from the prior year. After years of the rise of big box bookstores and online retailers, our local bookshops offer what AI or Amazon cannot—spaces that connect people, that build community, and rekindle the joy of reading.
While digital and audiobooks have grown in popularity over the past decade, more Americans still prefer print books. Many bookstores are also branching outside of simple retail and offering diverse experiences at their stores: Live entertainment, conversation, drinks, even role-playing games. Also rising in popularity are niche bookstores that cater to specific genres and fandoms, providing a space to gather around shared interests. And one cannot underestimate the influence of #BookTok, which has permeated book culture and become a best-seller machine.
All of this, however, is taking place during an era where rates of adult reading and literacy have continued to decline. While Americans are still reading, they're reading less literature. What is behind the resurgence of our local bookstores? And how has their special place in our communities helped encourage more adults to pick up a good book?
Join us at the City Club as Bill Kelly of Cuyahoga County Public Library leads a conversation with leadership of some of your favorite local bookstores—Loganberry Books, Visible Voice Books, ThirdSpace Reading Room, and Parallel Universe.
----
Online ticket sales for this forum will conclude on Wednesday, September 30th at 11:30am. Still need a ticket? Let us know! Complete the ticket waitlist form here. We will reach out directly if we can accommodate your request, subject to availability.
----
The livestream will be available beginning at 12:00pm. Have questions for the Q&A? Text them to 330.541.5794.
Production and distribution of City Club forums in partnership with Ideastream Public Media is generously provided by PNC and the United Black Fund.
The ideas expressed in City Club forums are those of the speakers, and not of the City Club, Ideastream Public Media, or their sponsors.