Regional Education Calendar

March 20, 2025
CalTest
April 8, 2025
ShopTalk: ABA Children's Group

This session provides kids focused booksellers and bookstore owners with the opportunity to come together for an open conversation to share best practices, talk about their business, and have a dialogue on the developing needs of children's bookstores and booksellers.

April 10, 2025
Bookseller Lightning Talks

ABA's Bookseller Lightning Talks series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. Each presentation will be followed by time for Q&A and discussion. Lightning Talks take place on the second Thursday of every month.

April 14, 2025
Board Office Hours

This is an opportunity for Board members to hear from members. The Board is responsible for listening to members and futurecasting to inform ABA’s ends policies (https://bookweb.org/about/govern/ends), the overall goals for the organization. The Board reviews the ends policies every summer. ABA Board Office Hours are an opportunity for the Board to hear from members about what they're concerned about for the future of their stores and what is missing from the current ends policies that members believe is needed to guide ABA to meet their needs. (For questions about ABA operations please contact [email protected] or watch for ABA Staff Office Hours).

April 22, 2025
New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits

The first part of this series will offer a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation will look at the member dashboard, education resources, networking & community, business affinity partnerships, marketing, advocacy, and much more. The end of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.

April 26, 2025
Independent Bookstore Day
April 29, 2025
ABA Staff Office Hours

This is an opportunity to meet with ABA staff members from the Membership team, Senior leadership, Advocacy and more to ask any questions you have regarding ABA membership, benefits, programs, share concerns or experiences, and/or express your needs for support.

May 6, 2025
New Member Series: Store Ownership 101

This session will provide new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff. New and new-ish members are welcome. Attendees can submit questions in advance through this form.

May 8, 2025
Bookseller Lightning Talks

ABA's Bookseller Lightning Talks series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. Each presentation will be followed by time for Q&A and discussion. Lightning Talks take place on the second Thursday of every month.

May 13, 2025
ShopTalk

Our ShopTalk sessions are an open conversation for booksellers and bookstore owners to come together for connection, support, community, share best practices and resources, talk about their business, & crowdsource ideas & solutions to problems.

The last 15 minutes of the session will be reserved for a larger group discussion, with the rest of the time set aside for smaller breakout groups. All attendees should come prepared to engage in conversation and Booksellers who fit in more than one group will have the ability to move between breakout rooms.

-General: All bookstore members
-Small(ish) Stores: Members at stores operating with three or fewer employees
-Nontraditional Stores: Members whose retail types are pop-ups, online-only, hybrids, mobile, and more
-Mixed & Used Inventory Bookstores: Members who stock mixed or used inventory
-Tourist Town Bookstores: Members in tourist areas
-Bookstores with Cafes/Restaurants/Bars: Members whose bookstores include a cafe, restaurant, or bar
-Nonprofits: Members at stores operating under a nonprofit business model
-Cooperative: Members at stores operating under a cooperative business model
-College/University Bookstores: Members whose bookstores are part of a college or university

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About ABA

American Booksellers Association is a national trade association that supports and advocates for the success of independent bookstores. We provide members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, resources, and technology. In turn our members support local schools through book fairs, donations and author visits; promote literacy; provide inclusive community centers; connect readers and books; add character to neighborhoods; champion and center diverse and new voices; and contribute to the local economy. We feel honored to support them in their work.

Contact

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INDIECOMMERCE: [email protected]

ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: [email protected]

 

 

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