Rumor has it people don't read anymore. And books have become relics of the past, the perfect pedestals on which to display a vase of artificial lilies.

Every week, a new Barnes Noble or Borders superstore seems to spring magically from the pavement. And their online versions are equally vast and profitable. According to 2006 Census Bureau data, retail bookstore sales fell 1.8 percent to $14.1 billion. In contrast, Amazon's books sales have increased by roughly 10 percent from 2005 to 2006.

But, despite the more than 14 bookstore giants scattered across the Chicago area, the city's independent bookstores are alive and well. So someone, in some part of the city, is reading actual books.

Stores such as 57th Street Books in Hyde Park and Sandmeyer's Bookstore in the Printers Row neighborhood are located near large chains, but managers and owners contend that, while their businesses took an initial sales hit, loyal customers eventually returned.

"A Borders store opened nearby in the summer of 2004," said Scott McWilliams, store manager at 57th Street Books. "It had an initial impact on our sales, but they really weren't the challenger that everyone predicted.

"We're the quintessential neighborhood bookstore. We know everyone's name, so our customers get that personal touch that they might not find at a large chain."

McWilliams also said that the store's livelihood has depended on maintaining a strong presence in the community, a detail often overlooked by chain superstores. Every year, 57th Street Books hosts a series of author events and appearances at the store and on the University of Chicago campus. In addition, they've established a co-operative program that more directly involves their customers.

"Because the store is a co-op, people feel that they have a stake in the store's success," McWilliams said. "Plus, it helps to promote this shop local trend that seems to be gaining more momentum."

Located in the middle of the city's historic Printers Row neighborhood, Sandmeyer's Bookstore has thrived for 25 years, despite competition from a nearby chain store. Ellen Sandmeyer, who owns and operates the store with her husband, Ulrich, said that their success depends on creating a haven for book lovers. So they make sure to hire a knowledgeable staff composed of people looking for more than just a summer job.

"I think a lot of people know that if they don't shop at their local neighborhood store, then there won't be one," she said. "We try to be a force in the community. We always participate in the Printers Row Book Fair. We buy a table, and my parents and my sons all come to town to promote the local authors we try to promote at the event. It's a real family affair."

In addition to the city's collection of independent bookstores, Chicago hosts the Printers Row Book Fair, the Midwest's largest free outdoor literary event. On June 9 and 10, scores of book lovers will gather to peruse the tables of more than 150 new, used and antiquarian booksellers. At last year's event, crowds listened to readings given by notable authors such as John Updike, Nikki Giovanni, E.L. Doctorow and Elizabeth Berg.

While large outdoor events certainly help to promote the industry, many independent booksellers say that they try to cater to a specific audience that is less likely to depend on superstores.

Desiree Sanders opened Afrocentric Bookstore in 1990 after she realized that the city's general bookstores lacked a substantial collection of African-American literature. Located in the heart of Bronzeville, Afrocentric is on a short list of African-American centered bookstores. While the number of stores that cater to the African-American population have dwindled, book sales have increased from $258 million in 1996 to $326 million in 2003, according to Chicago-based Target Market News.

"When I opened, some regular stores carried one or two shelves of African-American literature," Sanders said. "I thought that was not enough. People want to read books that reflect current pop culture."

On a similar note, Linda Bubon and Ann Christophersen opened the Women Children First bookstore in Andersonville in 1979. Their mission was to promote the work of female writers and to provide a place in which women could find books that appealed to their tastes and interests.

"That first year we sold something like 79,000 books," Bubon said in a recent interview. "At that time, though there were some women writers in print, there weren't a lot.

"There were classics from the 19th century, and there were romance writers and a handful of mystery writers. But very little serious literature by women."

No matter the approach, Chicago's independent book industry has cultivated a variety of strategies for staying in business.

"We think of ourselves as the bookstore's bookstore," 57th Street Books' McWilliams said. "No matter what we do, we want to maintain a real, local neighborhood approach to selling books."