So, a Barnes & Noble might be opening in downtown Oak Park next year. Dandelion Bookshop opened earlier this year on Oak Park Avenue, and The Book Loft is scheduled to open this August across from the Lake Theatre. Can all three survive? Are indie bookstores a dying breed?
As a former bookstore co-owner and bookseller, I believe all of these bookstores can be successful in Oak Park. Going back to pre-pandemic years: 2019 saw 111 new bookstores open in the U.S., according to the American Booksellers Association and 25 bookstores were sold to new owners. No figure was given for bookstore closings. In 2024, 323 new bookstores opened with 37 closings. In 2019, there were 1,887 member companies with the ABA with 2,500+ locations. 2024 saw an upsurge of 2,863 bookstore members with 3,281 locations.
And, what about the publishing world? Peter Warwick, president and CEO of Scholastic, pointed out the “continued strength in children’s publishing and distribution.” The trend is more bookstores, not less.
Oak Park is an educated community of readers. Those who like big box stores will gravitate to B&N. Those who appreciate the local community vibe will support Dandelion and The Book Loft. Indie bookstores tend to enthusiastically hand-sell the lesser-known reads, introducing folks to debut authors and illustrators.
Bookstores thrive when they are frequented, and booksellers love to share their favs. So I’d like to encourage my community to check out the wealth of reading opportunities, writing workshops, author visits, book launches, storytimes, etc. And let’s not forget that the exploration of new ideas, whether found in political tomes or fiction, helps to nourish our democracy.
Iris Yipp
Former co-owner, Magic Tree Bookstore