How to use this directory
IndieBookShop is a directory of independent bookshops across the United States. We started it because finding the bookshop around the corner had become harder than buying from a big online retailer. Every listing is researched by hand, and the directory keeps improving with help from readers and booksellers.
Here's how to get the most out of it.
Search for a place or a shop
The search box on the home page is the quickest way in. Start typing a city, a state, or a bookshop's name and pick from the suggestions:
- A city or state takes you to a page listing every independent bookshop there.
- A bookshop takes you straight to its page.
- Anything else opens the directory with your search filled in.
Away from home? Use my location lists the shops nearest to you first.
Browse by state, city, or county
Every state has its own page, listing its bookshops, the cities and towns they're in, and its counties. Start at Bookshops by State, pick a state, then a city. City pages also link to nearby towns, which is handy on a road trip.
Find shops by what they offer
Some readers want a café with their books, some are hunting for first editions, and some need a good children's section. The feature pages group shops by what they offer:
- Coffee shops
- Used books
- Rare books
- Children's sections
- Author events
- Book clubs
State pages break these down too, for example used bookstores in Texas. In the directory you can combine feature filters with a state or city.
Use the map
The directory pairs a list with a map. Zoom and pan to explore a region, click a cluster to zoom in, and click a pin to jump to that shop in the list. On a phone, tap Map to switch views.
What's on a bookshop's page
Each shop's page brings together what you need for a visit:
- Address with directions, phone, and website
- Opening hours, with whether it's open right now in the shop's local time
- What makes the shop special, and a photo when one is available
- Recent Google reviews
- Upcoming events, when the shop has shared any
- The six nearest bookshops, with distances
Help us keep it accurate
This directory gets better because of people like you. Booksellers update their listings, readers tell us about shops we're missing, and locals share what they know.
- Know a bookshop that isn't listed? Add it.
- Hosting a reading or signing? Submit an event.
- Spotted something out of date? Get in touch.
Independent bookshops are community anchors. They host book clubs and author events, keep money in the local economy, and champion books big retailers overlook. Every visit helps keep them open.