Small Business Saturday is Coming!
Shop Evanston on November 26th

Dear (Contact First Name),  

We know you're already being bombarded with offers and deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, but next Saturday, November 26, comes Small Business Saturday -- or as it's known in the bookstore world, Indies First Day. It's a day to remember that how you spend your holiday dollars is one form of voting -- whether you mean it or not -- for the kind of community you want to sustain where you live.
 
Many studies have documented how much more of the dollar you spend in a local business stays in your community in the form of jobs and taxes. These dollars also make the difference between a downtown that's vital and interesting to shop in, and one that's either lined with chain stores or shuttered storefronts (or both).
 
We're proud of how Evanston has helped us create a totally unique new cultural space -- Bookends & Beginnings -- where the shelves are packed with important ideas and fascinating stories; where Evanstonians can proudly bring their out-of-town guests; where readers and authors can gather for real and intimate conversations.
 
We don't want you to come in on Small Business Saturday -- and the rest of the holiday season -- out of guilt. We want you to come in because shopping with us is still fun. We've got a great line-up of treats, activities, and events, which are listed below.
 
As we head into Thanksgiving, we want to thank you for all the support you've showed us so far. And we want you to know that the generosity you showed at the front register, contributing to our drive to purchase more copies of the cookbook Good and Cheap for the food pantry Care for Real, has paid off. We delivered another carton of books to the pantry this week, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, as a gift to them from you.

With holiday greetings!       Nina & Jeff

On Small Business Saturday, here's what will be special at Bookends & Beginnings:

10:30 a.m. Special Celebrity Storytime: Evanston's beloved former Mayor LORRAINE MORTON will read stories to children ages 0-7.

2-3 p.m. Sample some Chocolate Sweet Potato Pound Cake from the brand-new cookbook SMASHED, MASHED, BOILED, AND BAKED: A CELEBRATION OF POTATOES IN 75 IRRESISTIBLE RECIPES, by Raghavan Iyer

3-5 p.m. Get a Song Tune-Up from the Pros: STEVE DAWSON, who leads the acclaimed Chicago band DOLLY VARDEN and teaches songwriting at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and MARK CARO, longtime Chicago culture writer and award-winning author of The Foie Gras Wars, will be chatting with customers about songwriting, playing, and listening to music. Bring in a song you're working on and get their advice! if you sing a song for them, you'll receive free stickers and a surprise gift when you buy their new book, TAKE IT TO THE BRIDGE: UNLOCK THE GREAT SONGS INSIDE YOU, which they'll also sign.

All Day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Small Business Saturday, November 26

-- A free Bookends & Beginnings bumper sticker with every purchase of $10 or more: "I BUY MY BOOKS AT BOOKENDS & BEGINNINGS, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS"

-- Signed First Editions Available including: Ann Patchett, COMMONWEALTH; Paulette Jiles, NEWS OF THE WORLD; Emma Donoghue, THE WONDER; Rosemary Wells, HAND IN HAND; and many more titles (while supplies last)

-- FREE GIFT WRAPPING by the League of Women Voters. The service is free, but all tips raise money for the League

-- Join the B&B HOLIDAY GIFT REGISTRY -- While you shop for the people on your list, you can also make a list of the items that you'd love for someone to give you. We'll keep that on file through the holidays, so when you tell people to shop with us, we'll already know what you're longing for.


We Look Forward to Seeing You on Small Business Saturday!
www.bookendsandbeginnings.com  | Tel. 224-999-7722  | Open Every Day 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  (on Small Business Saturday until 7 p.m.)