This action by Amazon’s employees may have you wondering what you can do to help. After all, according to Business Insider and numerous other publications, things really are quite bad if you work at Amazon. The best way to help out is to listen to the employees themselves, and the employees are telling us: boycott! But it goes beyond simply avoiding your ever-tempting Amazon account. Amazon also runs Whole Foods, Audible, Twitch, Goodreads - and more (click here for a full list). So to help you navigate other places where you can get your goods on Prime Day, we’re assembling a handy list!

Now, we know that Amazon sells far more than books. However, you can make your protest even more active by shopping at small bookstores instead of spending any money at Amazon this Prime Day. It’s hard to find an indie bookstore that hasn’t been brutally affected by Amazon’s cheap selections that come in two days, guaranteed. But as Raven Book Store of Lawrence, Kansas points out, getting your books through Amazon has a far more branching negative impact than you’d think. So, for this article we’re primarily focusing on bookstores where you can shop small, shop local, and divert your dollars from prime-time. That being said, if you’re a DC local looking for somewhere besides Amazon to grab all of your necessities, check out this list of Made in DC businesses.

Why are we writing about this? Studio Gallery is a place for the visual arts, and doesn’t sell books? Well, first of all, we do sell books - just more in the small-batch, limited edition, fine art arena. (Shameless plug - contact us to buy a copy of Snap Shot, an art book by Gary Anthes that accompanies his current exhibition.) There are numerous reasons why you may want to consider putting your money elsewhere - among them is Amazon’s crazy low tax rate on their $11.2 billion in profits and their connections to ICE. As a small business, we know firsthand the power of shopping small and listening to employees when they’re saying something is wrong. We believe in the power of community and making your opinion heard through all means - including where you choose to spend your money. And if you weren’t planning on spending money today, then follow the bookstores local to your area on their social media! We can tell you first hand that this has a big impact on small businesses.

So, without further ado: here is a list of small, independent bookstores that you can shop in ANY state - and yes, we’re counting DC, because why isn’t it a state already!? Anyways - happy browsing!