On Demand Education Sessions

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Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Ryan Clark of Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH) on Bookstore BINGO and #BookHaul Photo Booths

Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Ryan Clark of Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH) on Bookstore BINGO and #BookHaul Photo Booths (February 22, 2024)
Content related to the education session Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Ryan Clark of Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH) on Bookstore BINGO and #BookHaul Photo Booths, Lightning Talks.
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Topic:
  • Marketing & PR
Tags:
  • Events

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 February 22, 2024, Ryan Clark of Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH) discussed Bookstore BINGO and #BookHaul Photo Booths.

Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Eileen McCormick of Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) on Partnering with Community Organizations

Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Eileen McCormick of Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) on Partnering with Community Organizations (February 22, 2024)
Content related to the education session Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Eileen McCormick of Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) on Partnering with Community Organizations, Lightning Talks.
Watch video from this event...
Topic:
  • Marketing & PR
Tags:
  • Events

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 February 22, 2024, Eileen McCormick of Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) discussed Partnering with Community Organizations for Independent Bookstore Day.

Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Erin Ball of Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA) on Bookstore Crawls

Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Erin Ball of Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA) on Bookstore Crawls (February 22, 2024)
Content related to the education session Lightning Talk IBD Edition - Erin Ball of Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA) on Bookstore Crawls, Lightning Talks.
Watch video from this event...
Topic:
  • Marketing & PR
Tags:
  • Events

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 February 22, 2024, Erin Ball of Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA) discussed Bookstore Crawls.

Closing Keynote with Doris Kearns Goodwin

Closing Keynote with Doris Kearns Goodwin (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Closing Keynote with Doris Kearns Goodwin, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
Doris Kearns Goodwin is an acclaimed presidential historian, international keynote speaker, and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times #1 bestselling author of books including Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Leadership: In Turbulent Times, and the forthcoming An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History.
 
Speakers
Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (On sale April 16, 2024 from Simon & Schuster)
Philomena Polefrone, Advocacy Associate Manager for ABA's American Booksellers for Free Expression
 
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Powering Indies with Edelweiss Analytics

Powering Indies with Edelweiss Analytics (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Powering Indies with Edelweiss Analytics, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Buying and Selling
Tags:
  • Technology
 
Edelweiss Analytics, a tool created uniquely for indie booksellers, allows you to easily manage your inventory by integrating POS data into Edelweiss to analyze your stock, view order & sales history, and access aggregate market data without missing a beat. Whether your store uses Square or a bookstore-specific POS system, this conversation is for you. An Edelweiss team member in collaboration with bookseller panelists will examine each tier of Edelweiss Analytics and explain the value of utilizing these tools for better collaboration with publishers, and for amplifying the power of the indie market as a whole. If you’re not currently signed up, remember Edelweiss Analytics’ base tier — Basecamp — is free for ABA members the first year so come check it out! If you’re already signed up, come hear best practices and ways to optimize it for your store.
 
Speakers
  • Jeanne Costello, Maria's Bookshop - Durango, CO
  • Jenny Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore - Hood River, OR
  • Dan Brewster, Prologue Bookshop - Columbus, OH
  • Nicolette Siclare, Edelweiss by Above the Treeline - Ann Arbor, MI
Files & Links

Labor Trends in Retail

Labor Trends in Retail (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Labor Trends in Retail, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
The world of work has changed. New worker expectations, growing labor movements, pandemic trauma, increased need for de-escalation skills, and pandemic-induced skill gaps are creating new challenges and opportunities for managers and frontline employees. In this session, hear from an expert on current labor trends to consider when hiring, developing, and supporting staff.
 
Speakers
Nicolas Williams, University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH
 
Files & Links

Bookstore Resilience: Stories from Venerable Booksellers

Bookstore Resilience: Stories from Venerable Booksellers (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Bookstore Resilience: Stories from Venerable Booksellers, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
Nearly half of small businesses fail within the first five years, and only 25% make it to 15 years or more - and bookselling can be a particularly tough industry to crack. This makes it all the more impressive when a bookstore manages multiple decades in business, with no sign of stopping. This panel features five indomitable booksellers with more than 100 years of combined bookselling experience. They will share their stories and the ups and downs of their careers in bookselling, what motivates them to keep going, and their hopes for the future of the industry. Come learn from our bookselling veterans!
 
Speakers
Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books - St. Louis, MO
Janet Jones, Source Booksellers LLC - Detroit, MI
Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Company - Seattle, WA
Brein Lopez, Children's Book World - Los Angeles, CA
Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video and Books - Washington, DC
 
Files & Links

Developing De-escalation Skills

Developing De-escalation Skills (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Developing De-escalation Skills, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
As booksellers continue to be on the front lines of many consumer and human rights issues, the need for professionally-led training to keep booksellers safe has never been more important. In this session, participants will learn essential de-escalation skills and strategies to gracefully handle difficult customer interactions and defuse tensions while prioritizing staff safety. Empower yourself with the tools you need to navigate challenging situations with confidence and professionalism, fostering a welcoming and supportive atmosphere in your bookstore.
 
Speakers
Chasity Rush, Talbert House - Cincinnati, OH
 
Files & Links

Increasing Sales With IndieCommerce 2.0

Increasing Sales With IndieCommerce 2.0 (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Increasing Sales With IndieCommerce 2.0, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • IndieCommerce
Tags:
  • 101
 
Channeling ten years of feedback from booksellers, IndieCommerce 2.0 is an entirely new platform built from the ground up with new features and a fresh new design. Learn how you can harness the power of IndieCommerce 2.0 in this panel discussion with three booksellers who are using the new platform. Each panelist will showcase their site and share their first hand experiences with the new platform. They will discuss strategies for effectively matching their IndieCommerce 2.0 site to their in-store business model, highlight their favorite new features, and offer tips and tricks for maximizing the potential of IndieCommerce 2.0.
 
Speakers
Geetha Nathan, ABA - IndieCommerce - White Plains, NY
Kazemde Ajamu, The Black Dot Cultural Center & Bookstore - Lithonia, GA
Steve Iwanski, Charter Books - Newport, RI
Sophie Nogar, Second Star to the Right - Denver, CO
 
Files & Links

Tracking ROI for Events

Tracking ROI for Events (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Tracking ROI for Events, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • Events
 
Although you may be creating events that look successful, your return on investment might not be. Come to this session to learn what information you should be tracking, how to track it, and how to analyze this data so you can evaluate whether or not an event is worth your staff’s time.
 
Speakers
Cindy Dach, Changing Hands Bookstore - Tempe, AZ
 
Files & Links

Getting Clarity: What Business Are You In?

Getting Clarity: What Business Are You In? (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Getting Clarity: What Business Are You In?, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
The changing landscape of bookselling brings new challenges every day, and it is essential to learn how to respond without losing sight of your goals or purpose. Join Bonnie Wan, author of The Life Brief, for a workshop that creates space to declare your ambitions/focus for 2024 and design a brief for how you will achieve growth, engagement, and concentrate on what matters most deeply to you and your business.
 
Speakers
Bonnie Wan, author of The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living (available now from Simon Element)
 
Files & Links

Strategies for Employee Retention

Strategies for Employee Retention (February 14, 2024)
Content related to the education session Strategies for Employee Retention, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
The heart of a bookstore is the bookseller in the stacks, on the floor, behind the counter, or in the back room. These are the dedicated professionals who create the welcoming environment your community experiences every day. How do you keep this team? This session will cover important factors that impact employee retention today. You will be asked to consider your store culture, the openness of store-wide communication, your diversity and inclusion efforts, and conditions around compensation, among other important factors that drive employee satisfaction and retention. Come prepared to listen, engage, and leave with the beginnings of an action plan.
 
Speakers
Suzanna Hermans, Oblong Books - Millerton, NY
Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First - Chicago, IL
DJ Johnson, Baldwin & Co. - New Orleans, LA
Lyn Roberts, Square Books - Oxford, MS
 
Files & Links

Making Numbers Count: Quantifying Success with KPIs

Making Numbers Count: Quantifying Success with KPIs (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Making Numbers Count: Quantifying Success with KPIs, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
You’ve meticulously curated your inventory, designed the perfect displays, and developed an events program for your community — but how will you know if what you’re doing is working? Tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will give you the answer. KPIs are specific outcome-based targets that support your strategic plan and can be measured quantitatively, such as inventory turnover ratios, sales per square foot, and average transaction value. By the time you leave this session, you will: (1) understand the meaning and value of critical retail KPIs and how to track them, (2) understand how to compare your store’s KPIs against financial metrics found in the ABACUS report, and (3) be able to apply this data to create an improvement plan for at least one area of your store’s performance.
 
Speakers
Cynthia Compton, MacArthur Books - Carmel, IN
Melissa DeMotte, The Well Read Moose - Coeur d'Alene, ID
Candice Anderson, Tombolo Books - St. Petersburg, FL
 
Files & Links

Batch for Books: The Easy Invoice Management Solution

Batch for Books: The Easy Invoice Management Solution (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Batch for Books: The Easy Invoice Management Solution, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Finance
Tags:
  • Technology

 
Every bookseller in the UK uses Batch to simplify their Accounts Payable and publisher invoice management and over 300 US booksellers (and growing!) are now using it. Come learn more about this free platform to:
  • Automatically and electronically organize publisher invoices to reduce paperwork and free up time.
  • Provide access to invoice information 24x7, enabling you to manage invoices when it’s most convenient for you.
  • Provide electronic invoices, allowing you to verify shipments and raise claims for damages or shortages at the point of delivery.
  • Allow payments to be prepared and remittances received and stored electronically.
  • Link with QuickBooks, enabling automated entry of invoice data directly into QuickBooks.
The more booksellers that sign up for Batch, the more publishers that will sign up! Saving everyone time and money.
 
Speakers
Kathy Burnette, Brain Lair Books - South Bend, IN
Kate Layte, Papercuts Bookshop - Boston, MA
Zachary Matelski, McLean and Eakin Booksellers - Petoskey, MI
Nathan Halter, Batch for Books - Hartford, CT
 
Files & Links

ipage® Fundamentals: How to Save Time, Order Strategically & More

ipage® Fundamentals: How to Save Time, Order Strategically & More (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session ipage® Fundamentals: How to Save Time, Order Strategically & More, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Buying and Selling
Tags:
  • Technology
 
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 direct discounts and cart, and so much more!
 
Speakers
  • Johanna Hynes, Publishers Group West/ Two Rivers - Louisville, KY
  • Leslie Jobson, Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN
  • Marsha Wood, Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN
 
Files & Links

Project Management for Booksellers

Project Management for Booksellers (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Project Management for Booksellers, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Keeping a bookstore running can feel like having too many tabs open in your brain at once. Luckily, there are project management tools and strategies that can help with that. In this presentation, booksellers who have cracked the code on project management will share the tools and strategies that have helped them set goals and timelines and stay organized with their short- and long-term projects. You’ll leave this session with a better understanding of effective project management, which tool or approach is right for you, and what your next steps are for getting started!
 
Speakers
Kirsten Hess, The End & Let's Play Books Bookstore(s) - Emmaus, PA
Angela Schwesnedl, Moon Palace Books - Minneapolis, MN
Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop - Athens, GA
Cori Theroux, The Green Dragon Bookstore - Fort Dodge, IA
 
Files & Links

Leading Leaders: Developing Staff Leadership Skills

Leading Leaders: Developing Staff Leadership Skills (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Leading Leaders: Developing Staff Leadership Skills, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
Investing in the leadership skills of your staff has both short-term and long-term benefits, from building a better culture for your team to identifying potential successors when you retire. In this session, Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and the forthcoming Radical Respect, will teach you how to nurture staff into leadership roles, and evaluate the process for success!
 
Speakers
Kim Scott, author of Radical Respect : How to Work Together Better (On sale May 7, 2024 from St. Martin's Griffin)
 
Files & Links

Banned Book Preparedness

Banned Book Preparedness (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Banned Book Preparedness, Winter Institute 2024.
Topic:
  • Advocacy
Tags:
  • ABFE
 
This session presents practical ways to prepare to fight book bans before they come to your area. Staff from the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), ABA’s free expression initiative, will advise attendees on what they can do locally: how to engage with their community and local government, and what actions to take if attempted book bans do arrive. Presented by the ABA Children’s Group.
 
Speakers
Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop - Houston, TX
Leah Johnson, Loudmouth Books - Indianapolis, IN
Philomena Polefrone, American Booksellers Association - White Plains, NY
Angela Cooper, ACLU of Kentucky - Louisville, KY
 
Files & Links

Featured Talk: Beyond the Binary

Featured Talk: Beyond the Binary (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Featured Talk: Beyond the Binary, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
 
Description
Contemporary fiction increasingly invites the reader to see race, gender, and sexuality not as binary identities, but as a vibrant spectrum of diversity. This year's new fiction is opening up space for new ideas about how we might expand our understanding of identity and what myriad of relational dynamics are possible beyond the normative concepts of race, gender, and sexuality. In this keynote panel, four authors share their thoughts and experiences writing for a world that has moved beyond the traditional binary definitions of identity and belonging.
 
Speakers
Miranda July, author of All Fours (On sale May 14, 2024 from Riverhead Books/Penguin Random House)
Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television (On sale September 3, 2024 from Riverhead Books/Penguin Random House)
LaDarrion Williams, author of Blood at the Root (On sale May 7, 2024 from Labyrinth Road/Penguin Random House)
Maysoon Zayid, author of Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel (On sale April 16, 2024 from Graphix/Scholastic)
Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose Bookstore - Washington, DC
 
Files & Links

Lunch and Booksellers Present: Indies Introduce Authors

Lunch and Booksellers Present: Indies Introduce Authors (February 13, 2024)
Content related to the education session Lunch and Booksellers Present: Indies Introduce Authors, Winter Institute 2024.
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Topic:
  • Bookselling Essentials
Tags:
  • 101
Description
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 Winter/Spring 2024 Indies Introduce list. Many of the Winter/Spring 2024 Indies Introduce debut authors will be present to read a short passage and answer a question posed by one of the bookseller panelists. Authors will be available to sign copies of their debut books following the presentation.
 
Files & Links

About ABA

The American Booksellers Association, a national not-for-profit trade organization, works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.

Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.

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