Our Mission: To support independent bookstores in Deepening Literacy, Strengthening Communities, Paying Living Wages, and Adopting Sustainable Business Models.
Our Purpose: To articulate and amplify a bold new vision for what bookstores can be – not just as retail spaces, but as essential cultural, civic, and community institutions.
Our Aspirations:
- To inspire hope and leadership by sharing powerful stories and ideas that help define new and emerging paradigms for bookstores that are rooted in community, creativity, and long-term sustainability.
- To strengthen and grow our movement by identifying and supporting pioneering bookstores, documenting and enhancing their success, and inviting more changemakers to join us in shaping the future of bookstores.
- To develop guiding principles, practices, infrastructure, and pathways that support bookstores who wish to evolve towards the vision.
Our Guiding Principles:
- Build a movement with distributed leadership that’s accessible to everyone, and not a secretive hierarchical organization or another exclusive club.
- Keep engaging all stakeholders – publishers, readers, authors, donors, employees, partners, social architects and public advocates as well as owners, managers and staff from diverse bookstores.
- Create conditions for strategic and systemic transformation, beyond tactical and incremental improvements.
- Focus on white spaces, i.e. important topics that aren’t getting adequately addressed. Avoid duplicating work that others are already doing (ABA, regional bookstore associations, Professional Bookseller School, philanthropists.) Build on the findings and investments others are making.
- Encourage and support independently managed initiatives that are aligned with this charter.
- Experiment with possibilities and have fun!
Reimagining Bookstores 