Glen Ellyn's The Bookstore to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day

GLEN ELLYN – Glen Ellyn resident Cara Feinholz knows plenty of her friends read books through a Kindle device.

But Feinholz still enjoys holding a paperback book in her hands.

"I still read paperback books," said Feinholz, as she shopped at The Bookstore in downtown Glen Ellyn recently with her two young children, Elli, 3, and Will, 18 months. "I think I'm the only one I know who doesn't have a Kindle."

The Bookstore owner Jane Stroh is glad there are people like Feinholz, and she is counting on them to be around for many more years to come. The Bookstore itself has been located in its current storefront at 475 N. Main St. since 1960.

Stroh and her husband, Tim, of Glen Ellyn, have owned The Bookstore since 1997. Prior to that, she had been a store employee for 10 years.

The Bookstore, along with other independent bookstores across the country, will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on April 30.

"The purpose, first and foremost, is to celebrate the symbiotic book community – author, publisher, bookstore and reader – and the place local, indie stores hold in their neighborhoods, cities and towns," said Samantha Schoech, program director for Independent Bookstore Day.

Organizers also want to put to rest the notion that bookstores can't survive in today's society.

"The true story is that more independent bookstores are opening than closing in the U.S., and many of them are thriving, expanding, creative businesses that function as community anchors," Schoech said. "This is not to say that there aren’t many struggles. Amazon and online retail have made a huge impact. But they haven’t killed us off."

As part of Independent Bookstore Day activities at The Bookstore, Glen Ellyn author Bob Raczka will read from and sign his latest children's book, "Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems," at 11 a.m., followed at 1 p.m. by Wheaton author Andrew Brumbach, who will sign copies of his debut middle-grade thriller, "The Eye of Midnight."

In addition, Curious George will make appearances at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the store, and there will be refreshments, crafts for kids and giveaways. Limited edition books and exclusive artwork also will be available that day, including selections from Neil Gaiman, Kate DiCamillo and Ann Patchett.

"We're throwing a party," said The Bookstore bookseller Jenny Fischer, a former second-grade teacher who has worked at the store since 1998.

She expects the store will see a significant increase in customers that day.

"Sales were about double last year," Fischer said.

Despite devices like Kindle and competition from Amazon and big-box stores, Stroh said she thinks small, independent bookstores will still be around in 50 years.

"I think people will continue to buy physical books. You interact very differently, I believe, with a physical thing in front of you that's printed, as opposed to a screen," she said. "We have a nice kids section. Parents, I think, have come to realize that even though that e-book thing is out there, it's not the same experience as sitting with a child on your lap and turning the pages."

Stroh and her employees strive to build long-standing relationships with their customers.

"We do a fair amount of chatting with our customers," she said. "They come and they shop with us because they want a little bookstore in their community. The personal interaction is not something you get from a screen."