ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud business was feeling the love at an event to support local bookstores this weekend.

Books Revisited in downtown St. Cloud was one of more than 850 stores across the country to participate in Independent Bookstore Day..

Started in 2014, the event promoted by the American Booksellers Association takes place on the last Saturday in April and is modeled after Record Store Day. Owner Jon Lee says it’s a day to celebrate books and reading, but also the community that makes keeping stores like this around possible.

Our customers are so important. It's their support that makes a difference and they come down and they support us today and they support us every day of the year. So, for us, if we can give something back too and be excited about it, it's a celebration of independent bookstores, but it's really a part of our customer base too.

Lee says there is something an independent brick-and-mortar location can offer that online and chain options cannot.

You can fill your shopping cart on Amazon or do whatever you do, but when you come in and immerse yourself in the books and page through things, a lot of people will say the books find them. That's really what you gain by having a store in your community.

Books Revisited has been a staple of the downtown community since 1991 and has occupied its current space since 1998.

In honor of Independent Bookstore Day, the store featured a visit from guest author Jimmy Olsen, gift card giveaways, refreshments, and a 20 percent off sale.

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