Bookmarks is a nonprofit bookstore located in Winston-Salem, NC, and working with the community is central to their mission. They work with approximately ten community groups and other nonprofits each month who do a variety of work, including partnering on storytimes and author events, working with schools for presentations from authors, working with organizations to bring speakers to the area, and donating tens of thousands of books to community groups and schools each year. 

In 2024, Bookmarks did a small-scale remodel based on an accessibility audit completed in 2023 that changed the lighting and cashwrap to be more welcoming and accessible. They can now have more sensory-friendly shopping opportunities, and the remodel allowed them to reconsider the flow of the front of the bookstore and create an all-around more warm and welcoming space. Executive Director Jamie Southern said the remodel was the best thing Bookmarks did in 2024.

According to their 2023 Annual Report, Bookmarks donated 6,852 books to schools and assisted 34 different schools. Their largest event is the annual Festival of Books & Authors, where they get upwards of 10,000 attendees. Southern says that Bookmarks’s top priority is to make sure everyone leaves feeling like they are a part of the store.

As for her favorite SIBA benefit, Southern said, “I love connecting with other booksellers and hearing about their ideas, their successes and challenges. So any programming that allows time for that is always exciting. I also love having experts from other fields talk to us about what we could adapt for our industry.”

You can follow Bookmarks at @bookmarksnc to keep up with their journey and visit their website at www.bookmarksnc.org.