Next time you're in the market for your next read, shop local.
That's the message of the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, which has marked Saturday, April 27 as Canadian Independent Bookstore Day.
"People don't always look for local bookstores," said Rae-Lynne Byerley, owner of Yooneek Books in Okotoks. "Your go-to is sometimes the chain stores, but we carry a lot of the same books, and we can carry local authors quite easily."
The store will be celebrating the occasion with a 20 per cent discount on all inventory throughout the day, along with two prize draws for a $25 gift card and one prize draw to win 20 per cent off all purchases for the rest of 2024.
Over 150 businesses across the country make up the membership of the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, 15 of which are in Alberta.
"If you purchase books at an independent store and you keep your receipt, you can submit your receipt and then [the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association] will have draws for prizes like gift cards for the bookstore that you go to," added Byerley.
Yooneek Books also supports the work of local authors like Debbie Sands, whose latest book Tropical Rose topped a Calgary bestseller list.
