As I was hurriedly moving from warm building to warm building on Monday’s chilling morning, I noticed this “Shop Locally” decal in the window of River City Books. I was intrigued.

I wanted to know the source of the sticker and the organization supporting the campaign. My assumption was that it was the American Independent Booksellers Association (or something like that…) but I sent an e-mail to Jon Lee to see if he could give me a quick and accurate answer.

I also did an on-line search, or google, for “Shop Locally”. The top three citations were Reclaim Democracy, an organization with a vigorous agenda based in Bozeman, Montana, the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance, an organization I had read about in The Small-Mart Revolution (a book that I loaned to EDA President Rick Estenson), and, my personal favorite, The Austin Independent Business Alliance, or “I Buy Austin”…of course, I’m a big fan of Willie Nelson, Redneck Rock, and the “Keep Austin Weird” campaign.

Tracy Davis has also created a post on Locally Grown about shopping locally for the holidays. She’s trying to generate a list of ideas for locally available potential presents for folks who may be creatively challenged in the final hours of the gift getting rush. There’s some good suggestions already and you’re encouraged to add to the list.

Uh…in case you’re wondering about what to get for me this year, history books are always welcomed and used is fine, tattered covers and a touch of gray are distinguishing details, at least in my mind. So, in addition to the above-mentioned bookstore, consider Monkey See, Monkey Read and Bookfellows.

Ho, ho, ho…