BookED

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On June 15, 2023, Angela Trigg of The Haunted Book Shop (Mobile, AL) discussed harnessing the power of Airtable . Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bookweb.org .   Theme by  Constant C...

Whether you have owned a store for many years and are considering exiting a much-loved business, are planning for your store's long-term future, or are a bookseller exploring options for keeping a business viable for many years to come, this is the session for you. This seminar will cover store valuation, alternate models for succession, how to raise capital, the importance of an emergency plan, a...

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On October 12, 2023, Lane Jacobson of Paulina Springs Books (Sisters, OR) discussed strategies for employee retention . Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bookweb.org .   Theme by  Cons...

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On August 10, 2023, Zsamé Morgan of Babycake's Book Stack (Twin Cities, MN) discussed weekly events inventory curation in a niche model bookstore . Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bo...

Storytelling is essential for business innovation. It allows owners and managers to build purpose-driven businesses by dismantling restrictive mental models and challenging the status quo. This workshop, led by novelist and business professor Anna Bruno, will enable you to excavate your origin stories. Storytelling models will rely on Aristotle's rhetorical triangle (ethos, pathos and logos), as w...

Store-branded clothing is the concert tee of your bookstore. Once it walks out the door, it is free marketing, signaling through the wearer's swagger that your store is lit in all the ways. In a sea of business-branded t-shirts, it can be challenging to keep designs fresh, so we're bringing in the experts. In this session, we will explore the principles of effective t-shirt design, including color...

In a world struggling with issues of acceptance and tolerance, Jonathan Hamilt, Executive Director of Drag Story Hour, shares the necessity of LGBTQAI+ family programming. He explores how the powerful art-form of drag teaches young humans about inclusivity, celebrating diversity, the vital freedom of self-expression, and the role bookstores play in building compassionate communities where there is...

Social-emotional development refers to a series of critical developmental processes encompassing a child's ability to express and manage their emotions and form meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Children need support from the adults in their lives in order to facilitate healthy social-emotional development. With an understanding of social-emotional development, booksellers can better...

Pre-order campaigns get readers excited for the books YOU'RE excited about and if you're just starting out, this session is for you. Booksellers will learn about the nuts and bolts of pre-order campaigns including best practices for marketing to customers, what a successful campaign can look like for your business, how pre-order sales can uplift underrepresented voices and genres, and also the imp...

Book fairs and fundraisers hosted on your store's website or on Bookshop.org are a great way to partner with your community. In this session, we'll look at examples from stores utilizing ABA's IndieCommerce platform and Bookshop.org and share how you can get started planning your own virtual book fairs and fundraisers almost right away. Speakers Sarah High, Bookshop.org Daron Mueller, ABA IndieCom...

What is a concierge program, and how does it differ from a subscription box? In this panel, booksellers with experience running concierge programs and subscription boxes will answer these questions, give examples of different types of services, and show you how to create an inclusive, one-of-a-kind boutique experience for customers, no matter the size of your store. Speakers Lauren Savage, The Rea...

Led by Caprice Hollins, author of Inside Out: The Equity Leader's Guide to Undoing Institutional Racism , this workshop will address current conflicts in retail spaces. Participants will have practice opportunities with real-life scenarios. Speaker: Caprice Hollins,  Cultures Connecting , LLC (Renton, Washington) Recorded February 21, 2023, at Winter Institute 2023 in Seattle, WA   Theme by Consta...

Flip your children's book fair on its head and turn it into a book fair for grown-ups. This session will delve into how to curate and purchase your book selection based on your customer demographic and site location, merchandizing an offsite location, nonbook items to carry, and any special permits needed to serve food and drinks at an offsite location. Speakers Nicole Menzel, Bound to Happen Book...

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On June 15, 2023, Isis Asare of Sistah SciFi (Oakland, CA) discussed book vending machines . Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bookweb.org .     Theme by Constant Companion https://con...

Many industries now stress the importance of racial diversity, but the numbers do not show much progress. In the book industry specifically, Black workers are underrepresented as store owners, may be assigned to positions in the back rather than front of the store, and may observe that titles by Black authors receive less recognition, promotion, and visibility from booksellers. In this session, Dr...

Small bookstores (less than 1000 square feet of selling space) have a lot to share with larger bookstores about financial sustainability. This bookseller-led panel will present innovative ideas for how to manage budgeting, buying, displaying, selling, and returns to keep your store financially stable, no matter the size. Speakers Kathy Burnette, Brain Lair Books - South Bend, IN Bunnie Hilliard, b...

These days, adults are devouring young adult literature, and more and more YA stories feature teens but in more adult situations. In this panel, booksellers come together to discuss the shift in YA, which genres and tropes actually interest young people, how to make connections with young people in the community in order to better curate your selection, and more strategies for de-centering the adu...

Daniel Nayeri is a former publisher, editor, and pastry chef. His autobiographical novel, Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) won multiple awards including the Printz Medal. Speakers: Daniel Nayeri, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams (Levine Querido) Introduction by Allison Hill, ABA CEO Recorded June 6, 2023, at Children's Institute 2023 in Milwaukee     Theme by Constant...

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation of human brain functioning, including conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others. Understanding and embracing neurodiversity can have a positive impact on workplace culture, productivity, and inclusivity. In this session, we will discuss practical strategies for accommodating diverse learning, and working styles, as well as the importance of c...

Nikki Grimes and Brian Pinkney ( A Walk in the Woods ) know that not every child can take a walk in the woods to soothe the soul after experiencing a devastating loss, but all children can pick up a book that speaks directly to such hurt, or read a story that reminds them they are not alone—provided someone has crafted such a story especially for them. These award-winning creators share how they t...

Prolific and debut authors are landing on banned books lists across school districts and in statewide book bans. Bookstores may soon become the only place where children have freedom of choice when it comes to reading. A panel of children's librarians and booksellers will discuss the current state of banned books, how this affects the book industry, and what bookstores can do to support children's...

Purchasing manga for the bookstore can quickly take over a buyer's brain space, not to mention figuring out where to shelve it and how to display it. This bookseller-led panel will give attendees foundational plans for researching what's hot as well as best practices for marketing, shelving, and selling manga to the 12-and-up crowd. Speakers Cori Theroux, The Green Dragon Bookstore - Fort Dodge, I...

A book club for young people engages them with reading and can make them feel like a part of your store's community. It's also a great way to do some covert market research! In this session, booksellers will share details of their middle-grade book clubs, illustrate how they create a positive community for middle-grade readers (including those who are English language learners or who have exceptio...

Booksellers know it's important to create a space where readers can find stories with characters that represent their experiences, but how does one do that if some authors aren't receiving the same buzz as other authors with high sales records? How can bookstores market and support debuting LGBTQIA2S+, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American, and Pacific Islander authors so that everyone can rea...

For people in historically marginalized communities, having a space to exist, work, play, and connect can be a powerful thing. There are many ways to honor your community by creating space, and this panel will feature four booksellers who have done just that. You will leave this session with great hope for the future and promise of bookselling and with new ideas for creating space for the communit...