Innovative indie bookstores

Salon has a slideshow today, compiled by Trazzler, of beautiful and unique bookstores from around the world. I recognized Powell’s and Shakespeare & Company, but the others were  new to me. Imagine browsing under the dome of a secularized cathedral, or sipping coffee from the stage of a converted 19th century theater. Take a look.

The London Review of Books visits an interesting purveyor in Central London that offers books, classes, and a bibliotherapy consultation to improve your life. Alain de Botton’s shop, called the School of Life, encourages its patrons to “to master their lives through the study of culture rather than using culture for the sake of passing an exam.”

Publishers Weekly discusses how booksellers have partnered with bloggers to promote in-store events and for mutual networking. For example, Just the Bookstore in Glen Ellyn, IL, has created blogger bookmarks, similar to staff pick markers, to attach to book displays. Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT, recently hosted a team of bloggers celebrating the one-year anniversary of Books on the Nightstand. General manager Chris Morrow reflected on the event:

It was a good example of how online activity can drive in-store sales. It was also an encouraging reminder that books are still sold person-to-person based on knowledge, credibility, and genuine communication—not algorithms.

If you have a bookshop you'd like to mention, please leave a comment.

Photo credit: By David [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons