On my last flight I noticed almost everyone was plugged into a device with headphones to watch a movie, do work or email, read an e-book or listen to music. I was one of just a handful of people reading an actual printed book. My seatmate and I clashed over whether the window shade should be closed, enabling him to view his digital screen, or remain open so I could read a book by natural daylight. (I find it difficult to read with the little overhead spotlight.) The digital reader won since the natural light really prevented him from viewing his screen.

That little “debate” got me thinking: Do these passengers who are glued to their screens on a flight read printed books when they’re at home? Do they read e-books? Or do they not read books at all? And the bigger question: How do independent bookstores stay in business these days, given the popularity of e-tailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, audio book services like Audible, and the competition for people’s time from digital entertainment and social media?

I love technology, but I have a deeper love for books. Nothing beats the smell of a printed book . . . or a bookstore, for that matter. When I travel, if there’s a bookstore in the destination, I’m there. I admit I’m also drawn to airport bookstores; even if I don’t need a book, it’s fun to browse.

You can likely find the big box chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble in plenty of cities, but I prefer the small, sometimes quirky, independent shops with their own personality. For travelers, local indie bookstores and the booksellers themselves are excellent sources of local information — not only local maps and guides but also local history and legends you may not find elsewhere. An added bonus: Indie booksellers are an integral part of their community and can offer great recommendations not only for a good book but a good place to eat. If the timing is right, you might even stumble upon an interesting author event and book signing. And if you’re traveling with kids, keep in mind many independent bookstores offer a regular drop-in story time.

Perhaps I’m more sensitive to the issues of independent bookstores because my husband and I used to own one, and we appreciate the challenges of competing with the big chain stores and online sources, as well as the value of an indie bookstore to its community. With a little research, I discovered indie bookstores are actually thriving and growing, assisted by the current “shop local” movement and trend toward authenticity.

I’ve found some bookshop treasures in our travels, from Shakespeare and Company in Paris, with a solid collection of books in English, to the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, and legendary Powell’s in Portland, Oregon. If you’re vacationing in Bermuda, check out the Bermuda Bookstore in Hamilton. One of my favorite local bookstores is Bank Square Books in Mystic, Connecticut, with a large children’s room and lots of fun gifts. If I’m in Manhattan, I like to spend an afternoon browsing the shelves of new and used books at The Strand.

One of my favorite memories, though, occurred in Dingle, Ireland, where we came across the Dingle Bookshop  — the westernmost bookshop in Europe — which specializes in the literature of the Blasket Islands. The owner told us of an author event happening that night at O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub. We promptly headed there for a pint and dinner, then listened to local author Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé read from his book House Don’t Fall on Me — in Irish, and then in English. We enjoyed an evening by the turf fire as he related tales of growing up in the West Kerry Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) in the 1940s and ’50s.

If you’d like to locate an independent bookstore, visit the websites of the American Booksellers Association and IndieBound.org.

— Jan Hecht, senior editor