BookED

The recent decline in middle grade readership has set off an alarm for independent children's booksellers. With children losing interest in reading between the ages of 8–12, in only a few short years, the number of adult readers will also be diminishing. In this session, booksellers and Brenna Connor from Circana will share the middle grade trends bookstores are seeing, ideas for addressing the is...

Brenna Connor, Books Insights Manager for Circana BookScan , will explain and identify the US children's book market key trends to watch, highest growth areas, and performance by genre, format, and age range. This can't-miss session is based on the latest Circana BookScan data and Brenna's industry expertise. Session Video & Resources Recorded June 11, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orle...

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 July 11, 2024, Philomena Polefrone of ABA's  American Booksellers for Free Expression discussed the forthcoming Right to Read Handbook .   Session Video and Resources   Follow the American Booksellers for Fre...

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 July 11, 2024, Aysia Brown of Protagonist Black (Pomona, CA) discussed Supporting Indie Authors through their Friends of the Shop local author program.   Session Resources   Additional bookstore education reso...

Adults don't always have the answers. And just like adults, kids have the urge and want to seek out answers to difficult questions and situations. In this session, booksellers will discuss how bookstores can display, discuss, and create an environment for young readers where they feel empowered to ask about and find the answers to their tough questions and difficult events happening in our world....

ABA's  Indies Introduce  interview series spotlights debut authors handpicked by booksellers from around the country. In each episode, a bookseller from the Indies Introduce panel interviews an author featured in the program to celebrate the release of their book. In this episode, Donna Liu of Kepler's Books (Menlo Park, CA) interviews Josh Galarza, author of The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky...

ABA's  Indies Introduce  interview series spotlights debut authors handpicked by booksellers from around the country. In each episode, a bookseller from the Indies Introduce panel interviews an author featured in the program to celebrate the release of their book. In this episode, Holly Weinkauf of Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul, MN) interviews Johanna Taylor, author of The Ghostkeeper (G.P. Putna...

Bookstores have obvious indicators of success. The business is in the black, new customers walk through the doors, regular customers return, and events are well attended. In this session, booksellers examine what other measurements of success exist outside systemic measurements. What are benchmarks of success that are not part of a traditional capitalist understanding of measuring success? Files &...

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's  American Booksellers for Free Expression  celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read. Angie Hayden remembers when her girls would come home from the library with stacks of books up to their noses. Now, her home state of Alabama has become one of the states pushing book...

ABA's  Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting short talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On July 11, 2024, Morgan Haywood-Joy of Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY) discussed community outreach . Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck   Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bookw...

This idea exchange acknowledges that books are a luxury and children who don't have access to books won't have access unless a concerted effort is made by a bookstore. We will assess the role of a community bookstore, critique school events, and connect ways in which bookstores can integrate financially accessible or no-cost ways to deliver books to children — strengthening community bonds and inf...

The Indies Introduce program is about what independent booksellers do best: discovering exciting debut authors and sharing the best with readers across the country. Enjoy lunch while learning about the title selection process from the bookseller panelists who curated the Summer/Fall 2024 Indies Introduce Kids' list. Many of the Summer/Fall 2024 Indies Introduce Kids' debut authors will be present...

In this session, attendees will learn essential budgeting principles, including maintaining various budgeting reports and monitoring sales, payroll, inventory, and other key financial metrics. We'll explore practical strategies for managing expenses, maximizing revenue, and maintaining financial health, as well as review ways to share this critical data with staff. Whether you're a new bookstore o...

ABA's  Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting short talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On May 9, 2024, Preet Singh ( Eagle Eye Book Shop ) discussed  book fest planning and logistics . Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck     Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.bookweb.org...

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's  American Booksellers for Free Expression  celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read. Founding member of the  Texas Freedom to Read Project , Laney Hawes was just a normal parent who wanted the best education possible for her kids. But when she realized that her school...

Book bans and challenges have disproportionately harmed the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, with 30% of challenges targeting books including BIPOC characters or anti-racist themes and another 30% targeting books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes. Panelists will discuss the targeted impact of book bans on these and other marginalized communities, how they use bookselling to fight back in their own co...

Renée Watson  is a #1  New York Times -bestselling author. Her books include  Piecing Me Together , which received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award, the Ryan Hart series, and acclaimed picture books like  Maya's Song  and  The 1619 Project: Born on the Water , written with Nikole Hannah-Jones. Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck Speakers Renée Watson, All the Blues in the Sky (Blo...

ABA's  Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting short talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On March 14, 2024, Emily Autenrieth ( A Seat at the Table Books ) discussed calculating sales for store sustainability. Files & Links Video Recording     Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www.b...

ABA's  Indies Introduce  interview series spotlights debut authors handpicked by booksellers from around the country. In each episode, a bookseller from the Indies Introduce panel interviews an author featured in the program to celebrate the release of their book. In this episode, Matthew Aragon of West Side Books (Denver, CO) interviews O.O. Sangoyomi, author of  Masquerade (Forge Books/Macmillan...

ABA's  Indies Introduce  interview series spotlights debut authors handpicked by booksellers from around the country. In each episode, a bookseller from the Indies Introduce panel interviews an author featured in the program to celebrate the release of their book. In this episode, Mary Taris of Strive Bookstore (Minneapolis, MN) interviews Donyae Coles, author of Midnight Rooms (Amistad/HarperColl...

Join Ingram for an informative workshop with ipage® tips that can help you manage your account and store more efficiently. Whether you're new to ipage or an experienced user, gain a clearer understanding of our platform's full capabilities allowing you to spend less time navigating and more time selling. Learn about our streamlined stock box and cart, Direct-to-Home improvements, IPS publisher dir...

CoverHound  is thrilled to present a special four-part webinar series for ABA members,  Insuring Success: Business Insurance for Bookstores . On Thursday, May 30, 2024, CoverHound presented part two of this series, (Web)Pages of Protection: Cybersecurity and Cyber Insurance For Bookstores . In this webinar, we dive into the vast realm of cybersecurity. Learn practical and easy-to-implement cyberse...

ABA's  Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting short talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they've made in their stores. On June 6, 2024, Claudia Vega ( Whose Books ) discussed launching their reading access nonprofit,  ARCO: Activating Reading Communities Organization . Files & Links Video Recording     Additional bookstore education r...

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 April 11, 2024, Amani Jackson ( The Ivy Bookshop ) discussed balancing scheduling and employee morale.  Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck   Additional bookstore education resources can be found at  www...

In this interactive session, as a follow-up to his morning keynote , James Rhee will lead a discussion on measurements and operational processes enhancing balance, agility, and goodwill as it relates to the business of life and the life of business. Speakers James Rhee, author of  red helicopter (available now from HarperOne/HarperCollins ) Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck   Recorded Febru...