Contributor: A boom of independent bookstores, just when we need them most
As a blizzard blasted the East Coast in late February, a thousand booksellers from independent bookstores across the U.S. packed their winter gear, changed flights and braved snow to get to Pittsburgh by any means possible. They were there to attend an annual industry event, but this year was not like previous ones. A spirit of community and resistance ran through every interaction. In part that reflected a surge in the number of bookstores in the U.S.: According to the American Booksellers Assn., 422 new bookstores opened in 2025, a 31% jump from 2024. “Coming out of COVID, people realized life is too short to do something you are not passionate about,” Allison Hill, chief executive of the association, told me. The event in Pittsburgh, Winter Institute, was the biggest one yet, with registration selling out in 40 minutes and hundreds on the waiting list. The energy there also reflected the role that bookstores are playing at this moment in American history. Amid fear, frustration and anger, booksellers are providing resources and spaces for learning, …
