Since last year’s trade show, “Making it on Main Street,” and culminating plenary session, “Forming Local Business Alliances”, the GLBA staff has received requests for information regarding these two issues. This page was designed to be an answer to those questions by providing resources to booksellers. Please use the information below; print out the posters, review the links or check out some of the books. At the bottom of this page, you'll find a fascinating case study of SmartGrowthHudson's successful campaign to defeat big box development in 2004. It includes a Web site, columns and fundraising letters. If you have any other relevant information or resources, please contact the GLBA office.

Downloads

ABC (pdf) – Ask a Bookseller Colleague

How to Organize a Campaign (pdf)
A step by step account of how to fight big box chains by David Hughes of Solar Light Books in San Francisco.

Fact Sheet (pdf)
An "at a glance" look at the issue of independent businesses vs. national chains

Trade Associations (pdf)

NCIBA Local Business Poster - b&w (pdf)
Poster created by NCIBA to show benefits of indpendent businesses vs. chain stores.

NCIBA Local Business Poster - color (pdf)
The same poster as above, but in color and a slightly different layout.

NCIBA Independents vs. Amazon (pdf)
Another poster created by NCIBA highlighting the many benefits that independents bring to the community vs. amazon.com

Independents Week (pdf)
A flyer for Independents Week, July 1-7, 2005 sponsored by AMIBA.

America Unchained! (pdf)
A flyer for America Unchained!, an AMIBA sponsored event that urges communities to unchain themselves and shop only at local independent businesses for a day.

Helpful Links

www.ilsr.org
An organization committed to promoting local businesses and organizations

www.newrules.org
A project of ILSR, newrules.org is a site devoted to “new localism” and is filled with extensive resources and free e-bulletins

www.boulder-iba.org
The Boulder Independent Business Alliance (BIBA) is the local Independent Business Alliance branch in Boulder , CO . The site contains useful reports and information on successful programs that BIBA has coordinated.

www.dcn.davis.ca.us/vme/no-borders
Articles about how Davis , CA fought against a new Borders store

www.sprawl-busters.com
An organization which contains information for those who wish to fight the spread of big box stores. They list many “victory stories” as well as provide a contact sheet to share ongoing/ensuing struggles.

www.lawmall.com/rpa/cover.html
A copy of The Shils Report, which measures the impact of Big Box stores both economically and sociologically on urban, suburban and rural areas.

www.bookweb.org
The Web site of the American Booksellers Association. Click on Industry Newsroom, then “ Main Street Alliances/Advocacy Issues.”

www.amiba.net
American Independent Business Alliance’s Web site provides information on starting a local Independent Business Alliance as well as resources and workshop information.

www.ballenetwork.org
The Web site of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economics provides a list of resources and events plus sample “Think Local” campaigns that local BALLEs are using.

Books

Better, Not Bigger by Eben Foder
Looks at the costs of retail sprawl

Going Local by Michael S. Shuman
Provides discussion on community self-reliance and a directory of resources

The Home Town Advantage by Stacy Mitchell
Supplies facts and examples of communities that support and effectively promote independent local businesses

Slam Dunking Wal-Mart by Al Norman
Gives examples of organizing for Big Box prevention

Smart Growth Hudson Case Study

In 2004 the city of Hudson, OH voted on whether to allow a big box development in their city. Smart Growth Hudson was a group of concerned citizens and business owners that was determined to educate Hudson voters on the impact of the proposed development. Here is the Smart Growth Hudson Website as well as this document (pdf) explaining what got included in the site and why. There is also a document by Learned Owl Bookshop owner Liz Murphy outlining the process and what she and others did to fight against the development followed by a column (pdf) from the Learned Owl Newsletter and two sample letters that Smart Growth Hudson sent out during their campaign | Letter 1 (pdf) | Letter 2 (pdf) |. Hudson, OH citizens voted against the development, due much to the wealth of information they received from Smart Growth Hudson. This case study serves as a shining example of how to inform the community about the truths of big box development.

Learned Owl (pdf)
An account by Liz Murphy of Learned Owl in Hudson, of the town's encounter with and victory over a big box development.