Independent booksellers struggle to survive the pandemic caused by Covid-19

After we just saw a small rise in independent bookshops opening again and gaining more readers and supporters within the industry the pandemic this year has hit them hard. It's become a real struggle and no one knows how many will survive or have to close their doors forever.

But isn't especially now a time where we need them, the local stores around the corner, the booksellers who know their readers, shop owners familiar with the area and with a few minutes to chat and to make book recommendations because they love books as much as their readers do, not just to sell and make profit? But, of course, with shrinking or no sales no business can survive.

I found a few articles which I wanted to share as well as some useful initiatives and how you can support independent bookshops. It's a topic I like to cover a little more over the next few months, so if you are a indie bookseller or know a great indie bookshop feel free to get in touch. I'm happy to share your stories and how you've worked your way through the pandemic so far.

Here a couple of articles to browse through:

The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/02/bookstores-essential-businesses-coronavirus/

TIME: https://time.com/5822767/coronavirus-bookstores-amazon/

The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/books/bookshop-bookstores-coronavirus.html

The Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/tense-times-for-bookshops-as-an-unwelcome-chapter-opens-20200320-p54c4w.html

The Korea Times: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2020/05/398_289762.html

The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/we-need-books-and-they-need-us

Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/how-you-can-support-bookstores-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

The European and International Booksellers Federation put together a list of initiatives and how you can support indipendent booksellers in different countries:

Initiatives for readers to support independent booksellers:

Austria: 'support your bookshop online' campaign, providing a list of local bookstores with online stores

Australia: list of local bookstores with activities and services they are still offering

Belgium: collection of online reading platforms

Italy: Italians are using many hashtags on social networks through which the whole book sector shares its book recommendations, while readers are invited to share their current read: #libriaperti, #ioleggoacasa, #iostoacasa, #conunlibro, #librichecisalvano

Germany: Börsenverein is promoting its interactive overview of local bookstores, which includes information about online stores. A lot of publishing houses are helping to raise awareness among its readers to buy books in local bookstores: #findyourbookstore, #buchsolidarität. Börsenverein is also promoting #stayathomereadabook

Netherlands: 'I read at home campaign' by the Dutch CPNB Foundation 

Norway: 'whole Norway is reading'

Spain: #Buidemlesllibreries (‘Let’s empty the bookshops’ in Catalan)

Sweden: #hemmamedenbok

UK and Ireland: #ChooseBookshops

Ideas and resources for booksellers:

> The Bookseller Association of the UK and Ireland launched a webpage with dedicated resources, including business support helpline

> The American Booksellers Association’s Coronavirus resources are available here

> Syndicat de la Librairie Française is publishing daily updates and measures to support businesses

> Swedish Booksellers Association is providing advice to Swedish booksellers here

> Börsenverein, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, has pulled together important links and information on Coronavirus

> Union of Czech Booksellers and Publishers is mapping the impact of Coronavirus pandemic on the book sector in country. They are sharing potential ideas to soften the negative consequences of lockdown here. 

> The Danish Booksellers Association is sharing latest news and retail restrictions on Coronavirus here

> The Bookseller Association of the Netherlands is collating useful information for booksellers regarding Coronavirus

> The Swiss Association of Booksellers and Publishers shares updated information for booksellers here

> The Australian Booksellers Association is collating information for booksellers on COVID-19 here

> The Association of New Zealand Booksellers is providing Coronavirus information for booksellers here

The full article can be found here:

https://europeanbooksellers.eu/press/bookselling-times-health-emergencies

#indiebookshops #indiebooksellers #indiebookstores #independentbooksellers #booksellers #shoplocal #supporteachother #buybookslocal