Memories from 2018 Independent Bookstore Day
May 31, 2018
By Ruth Dickey, SAL Executive Director
It’s no secret that at SAL we love independent bookstores. And so, one of our favorite annual holidays has become Independent Bookstore Day, when we get to embark on the phenomenal adventure of trekking to 19 independent bookstores all around the region in one glorious, caffeine-fueled, book celebrating extravaganza of a day.
This year, we auctioned off a van trip to all 19 bookstores with me, and it was such a hit at the auction that we sold it – twice! On Saturday, April 28, 2 vans of 20 intrepid travelers spent the day visiting all 19 bookstores, and between all of us, we purchased:
- 306 books
- 9 cards
- 5 posters
- 4 magnets
- 3 phone charger adapters
- 3 pairs of socks
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 mugs
- 2 stickers
- And a hat, a journal, a super cute onesie, a tiny vase, tea towels, a pitcher, and some caramel pretzels and marshmallows
And that’s just what we all confessed to afterwards! We also had celebrity sightings (like Moira Macdonald from the Seattle Times, the team from Shelf Awareness, and the team from Island Books!) and got to meet booksellers we admire, fellow book-lovers, and new friends. And there was even a dramatic ferry miss, runs across parking lots clutching books, and a cow.
It was quite a day! We began at 5:45 a.m. at the Bainbridge Ferry terminal and finished after 11 at Donna Moodie’s beautiful and delicious restaurant, Marjorie. Huge thanks to our two volunteer van drivers, Graham Graham and Craig Abramson; to Macrina Bakery for donating pastries for breakfast; to DeLaurenti for donating delicious sandwiches and cookies for lunch; to Butler Seattle for the discount on our lovely sprinter vans; to the intrepid 20 folks who came along on the adventures; and to the heroes and sheroes of our community, our independent booksellers, who make us all smarter and kinder and more connected all year long, and who welcomed us with enthusiastic open arms all day. We can’t wait for next year!
Ruth Dickey returned to the Puget Sound after serving five years as the Founding Executive Director of Cincinnati’s Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC). She has a M.F.A. in poetry from North Carolina at Greensboro, was a writer-in-residence in the DC WritersCorps, and named one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2006. She received DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management in 2001.