indiebound!

It’s here! ABA, the American Bookseller’s Association, is the association of independent booksellers across the country. Formerly known as BookSense, yesterday at Book Expo America (the largest gathering of book lovers in the country, where this year I sadly am not) ABA revealed the name of their exciting new movement: IndieBound. A few days ago I had a dream that the new branding involved a large panda with a speech bubble saying “Shop Independent!”…I’m glad the real thing is much better. Check out their Declaration of Independents and see if you can guess which one is my boss:

Here’s what ABA says about the new movement:

Where it all began.
The ABA launched Book Sense in 1999 to bring publishers, authors, bookstores, and passionate readers together. By spotlighting the best books (The Book Sense Picks), the best booksellers, and the best bookstores, Book Sense built a devoted circle of literature lovers with a fiercely independent streak. Book Sense fans and participants know that independent booksellers provide individual experiences, helping customers find the book for them, not just the flavor of the month.

Turn the page, spread the word.
IndieBound takes Book Sense to the next level by empowering each member of the community to stand up and be proud. Love good books? Love sharing that passion with fellow readers? Love your local independent store? IndieBound celebrates the enthusiasm and energy of dedicated book fans and spreads the news. Both within the four walls of your favorite bookstore or outside them, IndieBound raises awareness of the inimitable and inestimable value of independent businesses.

Indie is everywhere.
Though IndieBound was created by - and for - book lovers, the IndieBound movement extends beyond reading. Just as each town is special, the local businesses that serve that community provide for their consitutents in a way that homogenized, international chain establishments never could. Whether you’ve found the perfect independent coffee shop, record store, hardware store, or other locally-owned business, IndieBound will help you get the word out

How does this affect people outside of the bookselling world? Like the last paragraph said, unlike BookSense, IndieBound incorporates all independent businesses, from coffee shops to record stores to restaurants and pharmacies. If you choose to support this new local movement you choose to support your community.

For the love of books.
If you’re a Book Sense fan, you already know that your local independent bookstore is the place where you’re sure to discover the next great thing and meet someone to discuss it with. The IndieBound movement invites you to share your passion with the world…and we’ll help.

Get on board.
IndieBound.org is the central hub of the IndieBound movement. Check out the bestselling books in independent bookstores across America—and order from the store nearest you. Sign the Declaration of IndieBound—and share it with your friends. Download banners, blinkies, and more to help spread the word about the importance of shopping local. And, as the site grows, it will become a way to meet other indie fans and swap facts about your favorite local businesses. We’ll be adding all kinds of things to the site, so check back often, and sign up for email updates in the top right corner of the site.

Many cities and communities have established shop local campaigns. Minneapolis has an independent business alliance, but we lack the drive and excitement of a shoplocal brand to encourage and support people to make local buying choices. After just a quick look it seems that IndieBound provides a lot of tools for businesses to join together…and thankfully there are no weird large pandas in sight.

new york local

I just got home from a long weekend in New York City, a city where local and commercial clash on every corner. I don’t think I walked two blocks without encountering yet another Starbucks or Staples (I have no idea why they could need so many office supply stores in one city), but neither could I miss the little delis, the street carts, the fabulous restaurants, all local to New York. Because of the simple mass of people a lot of retail stores are able to survive in New York City that might not be able to complete with the shopping malls of smaller cities and suburbia, so along side the usual Gaps and Abercrombies I noticed shoe stores and clothing stores I’d never seen, most likely independently owned.

It’s so easy when traveling to let yourself be drawn to the familiar, to let the power of brands take over and make your buying decisions for you. That happened to me a little bit on this trip—I had my fair share of Starbucks ice tea while trekking through the city, but my experience was always more meaningful, even if only a little bit, when I found my way into an independent store. The deli across the street from our hotel had the best fresh bagels each morning and didn’t mind finding me some extra peanut butter. I was told by many locals to eat at Carnegie Deli—we sat cafeteria-style at long tables with other customers and split our 8-inch high sandwiches.

The best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted was 10 blocks away and tucked around the block at Junior’s.

My favorite meal by far at Alice’s Tea Cup, a fabulous teashop inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, where we had brunch complete with scones and three kinds of tea.

One thing I noticed about the city was the incongruent combination of old architecture and contemporary commercialism. The most striking example was a beautiful stone building surrounded by proud pillars that is now a CVS pharmacy. At least in this city the structures are being preserved instead of razed, and I’m sure in twenty years the pharmacy will be gone, leaving room for yet another something new.

I spent quite a few hours of bliss this past weekend at the Metropolitan Museum and the MOMA, but I’d have to say my favorite 25 minutes of the whole four days were spent at the Strand. The Strand is an independent book lover’s paradise. On Friday evening I headed downtown on the subway, got off at Union Square, and tried to sense my way to the books…unsuccessfully. I eventually called information for the address and walked the few blocks. The Strand was busy—it was fully of people on a Friday night—that’s the first thing I noticed. Second, there were piles of books everywhere—I didn’t make it far past the main entrance before I had three in my hands. Third, people were talking to each other, engaging in conversation about the books in their hands, about what they were reading, about what they did and didn’t like, about what the person they were with definitely had to read next. I think I gawked. This is the kind of bookstore that needs to be right next to my house. This is the kind of stimulation I crave. I had opened the door and stepped from a careening city into a community—a fluid, somewhat frantic community, yes, but a community nonetheless. The Strand’s local and independent nature creates its atmosphere. I’ve been to Barnes and Nobles in New York and had nothing close to this experience.

I had to make my dinner reservation, so I quickly chose some books by Jonathan Lethem, Zadie Smith, and Paul Auster that I’ve been eyeing for some time. If I could form a utopia, bookstores like that (plus a little food, coffee, water, and wine of course) would be the main element.

farmers markets and tax rebates

It’s been a week or so since I’ve posted, a testament to how busy I’ve been, but I’m excited to get back. Spring is finally here in Minnesota, just a few months late, and the farmers’ markets are open!

I can’t think of an easier way to eat locally grown food and support regional family farms than to shop at a farmers’ market. Plus, you get the added bonus of buying your food directly from the growers, from people who know their product. I’ve been a little preoccupied with finishing up finals but I’m excited to buy some fresh spinach, tomatoes, and asparagus this week. If I’m lucky someone will have an early carton of fresh cherries, my absolute favorite.

The Twin Cities has quite a few farmers’ markets to choose from. Now that the snow has finally melted, make sure to take the time to check out a nearby market for fresh fruits and veggies along with eggs, cheese, and meat:

• Minneapolis Farmers Market: Open every day at Lyndale location 6am-1pm, Thursdays downtown
• Mill City Market: Saturdays 8am-1pm
• Midtown Farmers Market: Saturdays and Tuesdays, Lake St. and 22nd Ave.
• St. Paul Farmers Market: Weekends downtown, Wednesdays at City Walk

On an unrelated note, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s looking forward to getting a certain check in the mail in the coming month. The national tax rebate, or “economic stimulus check,” has been a hot topic on NPR and other news venues lately. How are you going to spend your check? The New Rules project has outlined some ways you can spend your check AND help your local economy. Check out the rebateflyer to get some ideas.

the best

So I have to start this post with a little bragging—Wild Rumpus Books won the City Pages Best Children’s Bookstore in the Twin Cities for 2008! We’ve actually won for many years in a row now, and it never ceases to be an honor. Here’s what they say about the store (which would make me want to work there if I didn’t already):

It might be best to try to explain the unmitigated glory of this place through the eyes of a child who is, say, two feet tall and relatively new to this world. And let’s say this child has enough command of language to exclaim with reasonable articulation. This, then, is how that child would likely review his time at Wild Rumpus: “CHICKEN! KITTY! SPIDER! MOUSE!” And then, after exploring the place a bit: “LIZARD! BIRD!” Then, finally, that child would make mention of the books—nearly 20,000 of them. Parents, if you do not know this place already, you will not believe it. A chicken roams free. Cats with no tails, too. Sometimes a chinchilla in a hamster ball pilots itself into your feet. Doves call from cages. Rats crawl beneath a small section of glass flooring. There is a weekly story time, of course, every Monday—always packed and with dancing breaks between stories. And there is a book to stimulate every corner of a tiny brain: picture books for the early childhood study of Arabic, books about pooping in small toilets, books about pirates, books by Spike Lee or John Lithgow. Books about Charlie Parker or the origins of city names. And when it’s all over, there’s a tiny door leading to the sidewalk. A small child, having seen and heard and maybe even read some new things about this world, is empowered to step out into it. For God’s sake, watch the traffic.

The City Pages “Best Of” is a great read for more reasons than the fact that it so effusively praises our crazy, quirky, lovely Wild Rumpus world of books. Of all the categories that it spans—from best bowling alley to best art gallery to best bakery—most of the winners are local and independent. I was glad to see some of my favorite “grown-up” bookstores on the list (and by “grown-up” I simply mean the opposite of children’s). If you haven’t yet been to Garrison Keillor’s bookshop Common Good Books in St. Paul you have to stop by. They have a great selection of poetry and literary fiction, and I love that their motto is “Live Local, Read Large.” Magers and Quinn, an Uptown staple, also made the list. They have one of the best collections of used books (along with new titles of course) in the cities.

Some other winners to check out:

Best Farmers’ Market: Mill City Farmer’s Market

Best Local Blog: Mediation

Best Make-Out Point: Fillmore Ave, St. Paul

Best State Fair Food: Walleye on a stick

Best Place to Spend A Day Doing Something for Free: Como Park

Best Diner: Mickey’s Diner

Best Italian Restaurant (Cheap): Broder’s Pasta Bar

Best Restaurant Trend: The neighbordhood bistro

Best Karaoke: Staraoke Karaoke at Grumpy’s

Best Pharmacy: Schneider Drug

Best Place To Get a Piñata: Litin Everything Party ‘n’ Paper

Best Bakery: A Baker’s Wife

Best Barista: Andrew Kopplin, Kopplin’s Coffee

Best Local Delicacy: The Juicy Lucy

Best Public Art: The Merit Wall

I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been to A Baker’s Wife as I am a self-proclaimed fresh bread lover. The writers of City Pages say a good neighborhood bakery like this one can save lives. I don’t doubt it.

can franchises be local?

One question I’ve encountered when thinking about local, independent retail and the shoplocal movement is the murky issue of franchises—where do they fall on the spectrum between corner coffee shops and Starbucks, neighborhood hardware stores and Home Depot?

One of my favorite coffee shops in the Minneapolis area is Dunn Bros. It isn’t a single location—Dunn Bros is a Minnesota-based franchise and there are many stores spread throughout the Midwest—but one of the reasons I like it is because each shop feels like a unique place to me. Each location’s architecture is different, it’s art is different, and it’s overall feeling reflects the community.

Which leads me to the question: is it possible to be “local” without being completely “independent,” in the case of certain franchises? I went to the Dunn Bros website to see if they had anything to say about the issue, and my question was answered, or at least addressed, right on their homepage where I was greeted with the banner:

Local is obviously a big part of Dunn Bros’ message to consumers, as evident in their greeting:

Celebrating 20 years of specialty beans roasted, sold, and sipped locally for the freshest, most flavorful coffee possible. Supporting and celebrating the unique neighborhoods and communities we serve. That’s what we mean by ‘The Local Flavor of Dunn Bros Coffee.’

I am most impressed with the line about “supporting and celebrating the unique neighborhoods and communities we serve” because I believe that’s one of the most important roles of a local business. Dunn Bros. donates to local charities and supports local causes. That’s enough for me to concede that, although it may not be the perfect definition of a local, independent business, the franchise undeniably works hard to build community and support local economy at each of its locations.

ACE Hardware is an example of a company that joins independent stores under one recognizable brand. Not technically a franchise, ACE is a wholesale cooperative, owned by the individual stores themselves (much like a grocery co-op is owned by its members). ACE business owners pay no franchise fees or royalties. This seems like the best of both worlds to me—the stores benefit from brand recognition and the communities benefit from local businesses owned by people who know what they’re doing. The ACE store around the corner down the street from my house is the reason we actually have paintings on the wall (who knew there were so many ways to hang a painting?) and caulking on the windows in the winter.

But what about franchises like Subway? Hallmark? My gut instinct with these two stores is to say no, they are obviously not independent and they don’t feel local. Even though small businesses like these may be owned by individuals, they are still very much a part of the larger company, and rarely make an impact on communities beyond serving surface needs.

In the end the issue of franchises might come down to learning more about each company’s mission statements and goals and ultimately deciding for yourself about what your buying choices will be. In the case of Dunn Bros, I read that the company is looking to expand its franchise locations but never at the expense of quality. For now I’ll continue to sip coffee and read at a place that’s somehow managed to expand while still remaining local, and know that a time may come when I’ll have to reevaluate my choices.

poetry month

April is national poetry month, and every morning for the past twenty-seven days I’ve received, via email, a poem from poets.org, the site of the Academy of American poets. A single poem to read as I drink my coffee—a daily reminder of the beauty and power of words. When I opened my email this morning I couldn’t help but laugh a little—today’s poem is called “In Cold Spring Air,” and anyone who lives in the Twin Cities and experienced this weekend’s snowy weather can understand. But a poem is more than its title, and I loved the quiet words, the simple imagery of the poem.

“In cold spring air”
by Reginald Gibbons

In cold
spring air the
white wisp-
visible
breath of
a blackbird
singing—
we don’t know
to un-
wrap these blind-
folds we
keep thinking
we are
seeing through

The blackbird in the poem reminds me in a roundabout way of my weekend, a weekend that, in retrospect, revolved around eating great food. My mom was in town and we ate at some of my favorite restaurants, including Blackbird, a relatively new café in Southwest Minneapolis.

I loved the restaurant’s eclectic décor of Chinese lanterns contrasted with cabin-style antlers, the warm atmosphere, and my classic poached eggs and toast breakfast, extra coffee.

The night before we had dinner at Heidi’s (right next door to Blackbird). The food lived up to the hype—if you go you have to try the Crepe with Foie Gras and curried black lentils…I can’t remember the last time I tasted something so good. The room was intimate, the music was great, the whole experience was one I can’t wait to repeat.

This morning my mom and I continued the culinary tour at Lucia’s, where I brunched on a lighter-than-air frittata. Lucia’s focus on fresh, seasonal, and local foods has made it a favorite neighborhood restaurant and leader in the local foods movement—Chef Lucia Watson often shops at farmers markets and the restaurant is currently offering a CSA flower farm share from Shining Hills Farm & Gardens

We ended the weekend feast at Barbette, my favorite of the three restaurants in the area started by restaurateur Kim Bartmann (also Bryant-Lake Bowl and The Red Stag Supperclub). Nothing ends a wonderful weekend like pommes-frites and a glass of red wine.

And soon…the spring air will be warm.

quick facts

Why should we shop locally? It’s easy to shop at a chain (I’ve done it all my life), for matters of convenience or brand recognition or maybe because we don’t know there are other options, without realizing the far-reaching effects of our choices. Here are some quick facts about big-box stores versus independent businesses.

• Local business support the economy: for every $100 a consumer spends, local businesses give back $68 to the local economy. Chain stores only give back $43.

• Chains have an unfair advantage: Many states have provisions in their tax codes that enable chains, but not independent retailers, to skirt paying income taxes.

• Although a big-box store rising on the edge of town might appear to be economic growth, it is not. Most stores are built not to satisfy increased customer demand but because a chain sees a predatory opportunity to displace sales at other businesses. As local stores close, communities end up losing as many or more retail jobs as they gain from the new superstore. And the jobs at the superstore usually pay less, with little to no benefits.

• Chains are driving the contraction of manufacturing. Most big retailers have their primary procurement offices in China, where they contract directly with low-wage factories. Workers at these factories rarely make a living wage.

• With the loss of small business and manufacturing jobs the middle class is shrinking. The share of national income flowing to the middle 60 percent of families has declined since 1985. And the situation is getting worse: in all but two states, new jobs pay less than those being lost.

• The poor have fared even worse in big-box economy. Welfare programs are swollen with chain store employees who aren’t paid a living wage. Of the twenty companies that had the most employees enrolled in either Medicaid of another state health care program, thirteen were retail and restaurant chains, including Wal-Mart, McDonalds, CVS, Burger King, Hope Depot, Walgreens, and Target. Together these chains had more than thirty-two thousand workers and their dependents relying on the programs, at a cost to taxpayers of $45 million a year.

But it’s not all bad news. Shopping locally and supporting independent businesses can change the direction of retail and recent downward economic trends. Why else should you shop at an indie?

• Studies show that people who live in places where a larger share of the economy is in the hands of locally owned businesses take a more active role in civic affairs. These communities have lower rates of poverty, crime, and infant mortality, and are more resilient in times of adversity. Their citizens are far more likely to attend public meetings, volunteer, and even vote than those living in areas dominated by big corporate chains.

• Local business owners often possess a level of expertise and knowledge that is unmatched by chains.

• Although individually they are smaller than the big-box counterparts, independent stores collectively stock a much wider array of products. This is because they each make their own decisions about what to carry, based on their knowledge of their local consumer base, while at the chains these choices are determined by a handful of buyers at corporate headquarters. This is especially important with regard to books, music, and movies.

(information from Andersonville Study by the Civic Economics group and Stacy Mitchell, Big-Box Swindle)

On a more personal note, my mom is flying into Minneapolis this afternoon for a weekend visit. Tonight we’re going to the Guthrie, a Minneapolis landmark, to see Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Before the play I think we’ll go to Heidi’s, one of Minneapolis’s newest independent restaurants, just named to Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List.” I love that one of the best restaurants in the city is tucked into a small nondescript storefront, just a few blocks away from my house.

car troubles

Today was gorgeous. The sun was out, it felt like spring (finally), work was busy but I was glad to be there and was reminded again what a blessing it is to love my job.

I work at a fabulous, eclectic, inspiring, and wholly unique independent children’s bookstore called Wild Rumpus Books in Linden Hills, and am in the midst of planning and organizing the loads of author events we have scheduled for this spring. My whole job is an example of the benefits of independent retail, but that will have to be the subject of another post, because after I left work and pulled into my driveway…my car broke down.

To me, nothing is as annoying as that sound my car makes when it wants to start—almost starts!—but fails. After sitting in my car and turning the key about twenty times I finally gave in and called my father (yes, I still do that), who told me it was probably a weak battery and that I should jump it and then go to the dealer. I dreaded the thought of driving 40 minutes in traffic only to have to rent a car (the dealer never has loaners at last minute) and drive all the way home.

It turns out it wasn’t a dead battery, so I had to call for a tow truck. That’s when I decided to think a little more locally. I called Bobby and Steve’s Auto World, an auto shop just a few blocks from my house, and instead of putting me on hold for twenty minutes like my dealer did, a real person talked with me right away. The mechanic called me Kristin instead of Ms., and was able to give me a quote in a matter of minutes. He also offered me a loaner car, free of charge. I was sold.

Working with my local auto shop made what was already a frustrating situation a little bit easier to handle. When the mechanic called me back with the details of my repair, I knew I wasn’t just one of twenty cars he was working on tonight, but his top priority. Sure, my loaner car isn’t what you’d call new or pretty, but it’s free, and it comes from a place I already know I can trust.

the beginning

The shop local movement is exciting. The 2007 Oxford Dictionary new word of the year was “locavore”: a person who seeks out locally produced food. I’m looking for something a little more far reaching—I want to live locally. Has anyone coined a name for that yet? Shopping at local, independent retailers for all of my daily needs should be a possible endeavor in a metropolis the size of Minneapolis. I’ve been living semi-locally for awhile now, but a few days ago I picked up Stacy Mitchell’s astounding book Big-Box Swindle and was forced to take a closer look at the buying choices I make each day. I work at a local, independent bookstore, so know to avoid Amazon and the mega stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. I already try and buy local food as much as possible, a goal made easier each day as the locavore movement gains media recognition and attention. But what I didn’t completely understand was the drastic power my dollars have when spent at places like Target, Walgreens, Best Buy, the Gap, Applebees, and any large chain, to harm communities. I realized that I make a statement about my values with each dollar I spend. And some changes need to be made.

What does local mean, exactly? More specifically, what is a local, independent business? In the words of Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and author of Big-Box Swindle, a locally owned, independent business is:

majority owned by one ore more people who live in the community, who have full decision-making power over the business, and who operate few enough outlets that they remain personally connected to their employees and customers. This excludes most franchise outlets, like McDonald’s and Subway, which are ostensibly owned by a local entrepreneur who invests time and money in the business, but who does not have full decision-making power. Franchise owners must follow rules handed down by the franchise corporation, which also takes a share of the profit. There is no hard and fast rule about the number of outlets and independent business can operate before it begins to function more like a chain, but the regular presence of the owner working at the stores is a good indicator. Businesses with two to three outlets usually pass the test, and those with more than a dozen rarely do. Those in between might fall on either side.

Today is Earth Day, a perfect beginning to what I hope will be an exciting journey. I had a cup of coffee (cold press with soy milk, perfect for spring) at Anodyne, a comfy and eclectic independent coffee shop that also serves great breakfast, lunch, fresh cookies and pastries, and Sebastian Joe’s ice cream. It’s pretty easy to shop local when it tastes so good.