One of the best Independent Bookstore Day traditions is the end-of-the-day expressions of gratitude by booksellers across the country. "Thank you" was definitely the watchword again during and after Saturday's festivities, as bookstores shared their #IndieBookstoreDay good vibes. Here's a sampling:
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| At Quimby's | |
Quimby's Bookstore, Chicago, Ill.: "SORRY WE'RE DEAD! Thanks to the million billion trillion gazillion people who came through on Independent Bookstore Day. We cached two brand new self-inking stamps, celebrated with 110 people who finished their 10 or 15 stop book crawl with us, and did 981 register transactions, for double the money of the Saturday before Christmas! THANK YOU!"
Poppy Books & Gifts, Spanish Fork, Utah: "Another Independent Bookstore Day in the books, and it was our busiest one yet! We are always in awe of our community, and the way you all show up for us again and again. Please support your local indie bookstore!... We love you guys, keep on reading and chatting with us about the books you love!"
Winnie and Mo's Bookshop, Idaho Falls, Idaho: "Thank you all for a busy and fun-filled Independent Bookstore Day! What a party. What makes indie bookstores survive and thrive is YOU! You make them places of community and connection, and we're grateful for you. We've said it before and we'll say it again: book people are the best people."
Bookstore on the Square, Fort Collins, Colo.: "It's a wrap on Independent Bookstore Store Day! Y'all showed up in droves and we are so deeply & sincerely appreciative. Special thanks to @mnb_photographer for bringing some @focomx magic to our little shop, and to every single person who came in today, yesterday, and beyond: We love you. We see you. Our hearts are so full."
Class Bookstore, Houston, Tex.: "LET'S RALLY Y'AL!! 5 MORE DAYS TO GET YOUR STAMP!! PULL UP AND LET'S FINISH STRONG!! BTW, thanks to everyone who came through for @indiebookstoreday today!! Much appreciated."
Alibi Bookshop, Vallejo, Calif.: That’s a wrap.... THANK YOU to everyone who showed up and celebrated with us--it was crazy busy and fun! (Seeing a line in a bookstore is truly the greatest sight ever.)."
Rooted Books & Gifts, Grand Island, Neb.: "Yall wore Nate and Bella out today! Thank you all SOOOO SOOO much for showing up and supporting us today and all year round. We love being able to support our community through our little ole bookshop."
The Bookshop, East Nashville, Tenn.: "Today--our TENTH Indie Bookstore Day celebration--was truly epic.... Thank you for supporting this lil' shop. Y'all are the best community an indie bookstore could ask for."
The Cranford Bookstore, Cranford, N.J.: "Book people are the best people. Being able to participate in #independentbookstoreday was the dream last year and, wow, you all made that dream come true today! Seeing the fully stamped passports, watching folks pick out their pin, making recommendations, visits from our favorite authors... and chatting TBRs... there is nothing better!"
Madison Street Books, Chicago, Ill.: "We knew it would be amazing but we are overwhelmed by how much. THANK YOU."
Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, Ore.: "Thanks to everyone who showed up for us in the store today (or online) for Independent Bookstore Day--we had a blast, and hope you did too!"
The Gilded Page, Kansas City, Mo.: "Thank you everyone who came out today to support us on Independent Bookstore Day! The shoppers, the crawlers, and scavenger hunters, and the cat lovers, we appreciate you all!"
Pages & Perks, St. Petersburg, Fla.: "For our very first independent bookstore day, we were overwhelmed with gratitude love and support. For the amount of you lovely people that came out to support each and every celebration. We met so many people making the rounds to their favorites in the area and some who were discovering new Indie Bookstores!"
Plaid Elephant Books, Danville, Ky.: "HUGE thanks to everyone who joined us for Independent Bookstore Day yesterday! This is always the best, most bookishly delightful day of the year. Lovely to meet all the folks who were exploring the Bluegrass Bookstore Crawl as well as all of our local readers. Thanks for shopping local!!"
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| At Wheatberry Books | |
Wheatberry Books, Chillicothe, Ohio: "Another Independent Bookstore Day is in the books, and we could not be more grateful for the support this community of readers shows us. Thank you for showing up, for believing in our mission, and for caring so passionately about stories. It's because of you that we're able to open our doors every day and provide a safe place to retreat."
Shared Stories Books, Caldwell, Idaho: "Our hearts are FULL!! The community showed up for our birthday and for Independent Bookstore Day!! Thank you all for joining us today to celebrate. We had a record day of sales, but more importantly, we had a record day of friendship, of bookish excitement, and of community."
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| At the Plot Twist | |
The Plot Twist, Denton, Tex.: "From our AC going out early in the day (on the hottest day this year so far) to the tornado warnings later… y'all still showed up to support our little indie bookstore. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up, for browsing our shelves, for sharing your love of indie bookstores, and for reminding us why this community means everything.... Days like this don’t go as planned, but they turn into something even more meaningful because of y'all!! We're so grateful to be your bookstore."
Cindelle's Bookstore, Plainfield, N.J.: "Independent Bookstore Day was absolutely everything we hoped it would be and MORE. Seeing so many of you walk through our doors, passport in hand, ready to explore every corner of Union County's indie bookstore scene was so cool. To our incredible community: THANK YOU. Your support means the world to us. You showed up, you bought books, and you reminded us why being a bookseller is the greatest privilege."
Twice Told Tales, McPherson, Kan.: "That's a wrap for Independent Bookstore Day 2026! Thank you to everyone who came out to support. My bookseller heart is going to explode from all the love I felt today. You all keep the dream alive."
Books Revisited, Saint Cloud, Minn.: "What a wild, wild Independent Bookstore Day! I can hardly find the words, and I am absolutely awestruck at the tremendous support and your willingness to show up!... Thank you to the oceans of people who helped make today so memorable, and in a world where you could buy your books anywhere, thank you for showing up on the rest of the days too.... Today is a day I will never forget."
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| At Blue Couch Bookshop | |
Blue Couch Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio: "WOW we had an amazing Indie Bookstore Day with you all!! Can't wait to do it again tomorrow!!"
WordsWorth Books, Little Rock, Ark.: "Before & after Independent Bookstore Day. What a day! A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to support us and the @rockcitiesbookcrawl today. The energy in the store during IBD... there's nothing quite like it. We can't wait to do it again next year!"