Visit participating New Jersey independent bookstores!
Enter to win prizes!
June 7 + 8, 2025

Participating Bookstores

Map view

Have a question?

How do I participate? Do I need to participate on both days?

On June 7th and/or 8th, visit any of our participating bookstores and have a staff member mark your guide. Each visit will earn you one entry to win one of several great prize bundles. You do not need to participate on both days!

What happens if I lose my guide, or if the first store I visit runs out of copies?

Don’t worry–you can still log your visits on our online form, and if you’re selected as a winner, you will just have to show some type of proof that you visited those stores: photos taken at each location, any receipts you might have, whatever you’ve got.

Why does my GPS say a store is closed during the crawl? Why is the location different?

If your GPS says a store is closed but our map lists open hours, follow our info. We have been in touch with all of the participating stores, and some of them are having special hours (like being open on Sunday when they normally are not) for the weekend of June 7 & 8.

Also, a few stores moved between the time we announced this event and its occurrence. If you type a name into your GPS and are getting the wrong listing, again, go off of our website.

When in doubt: check the stores’ social media, website, or give them a call first!

Do I have to buy something at each store in order for my visit to count?

No, but we certainly hope you will want to! This event is all about supporting bookstores, so if you can’t make a purchase, your foot traffic, social media posts and follows, and future purchases are still great ways to support to NJ’s indie bookstores.

Are any of the stores having special events or promos that weekend?

If a store is doing something special, the best place to find out is on their websites or social media. We are sharing any info we have on our Instagram, and saving those posts to a story highlight. We’ll also include any special promotions or events on our map.

I can’t make it! When’s the next one?

Every day is a great day to support your local bookstores: you don’t need to wait for us! But feel free to use the resources we compiled here–the list of stores and the map–and plan your own DIY crawl. Grab your friends and hit up a few stores in one day, or use our list as a guide and visit a new-to-you store every month.

If all goes well, we hope to make this an annual tradition.

How do I get a crawl guide?

Download and print one here on our website (coming in mid-May!), or pick one up at your first stop, while supplies last. We are dropping off a limited number of guides at each store and have no idea what the demand will be, so if you’re able to print one out ahead of time, please do! Keep an eye on our Instagram for other opportunities to pick up a guide before the crawl.


What are the prizes? How do I log my visits to enter?

We have so many great things lined up, donated by some very generous sponsors. More info coming soon! Follow us on Instagram to see them once we are ready to share.

Once crawl weekend is here, you’ll find a link right here to a form that will allow you to log your visits and enter to win!


Who planned the event?

The New Jersey Bookstore Crawl was organized by Kerri of Jersey Collective. It was co-sponsored by Rutgers University Press and Kristen of Hello Art Design. Our other partners include prize sponsors (coming soon), and of course: the bookstores!