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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.
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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.
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.
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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 January 11, 2024, Laura DeLaney of Rediscovered Books (Boise, ID) on Testifying In Committee.
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 January 11, 2024, Kelsy April of Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT) on Bringing Winter Institute Back to Your Staff.
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 January 11, 2024, Emma Kaas (Norwich Bookstore) discussed Taking Annual Inventory.
This session will provide new & prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff. New and new-ish members are welcome!
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Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
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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 (Paulina Springs Books) discussed Employee Retention.
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 (Babycake's Book Stack) discussed Weekly Events Inventory Curation in Niche Model Bookstores.
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, Dick Hermans of Oblong Books (Millerton & Rhinebeck, NY) discussed Music Retailing.
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, Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys (Zionsville, IN) discussed Podium.
Our New Member Series:Store Ownership 101 provides new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording.
A full transcription is available for this session. Please note that it is machine-generated and not reviewed for accuracy.
Our New Member Series:Store Ownership 101 provides new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording.
A full transcription is available for this session. Please note that it is machine-generated and not reviewed for accuracy.
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Join ABA CFO PK Sindwani, a former bookseller, and our accounting staff for our sessions designed to jumpstart your ABACUS submission. In this session, you’ll receive step-by-step instructions to fill out your ABACUS survey, tips on how to find your information to complete the survey, and ways to find time to report. Please bring your Trial balance, year-end payroll register from your payroll provider, and year-end cash register summary from your POS.
A full transcription and closed captioning are available for this session. Please note that both are machine-generated and are not reviewed for accuracy.
Join ABA CFO PK Sindwani, a former bookseller, and our accounting staff for our sessions designed to jumpstart your ABACUS submission. In this session, you’ll receive step-by-step instructions to fill out your ABACUS survey, tips on how to find your information to complete the survey, and ways to find time to report. Please bring your Trial balance, year-end payroll register from your payroll provider, and year-end cash register summary from your POS.
A full transcription and closed captioning are available for this session. Please note that both are machine-generated and are not reviewed for accuracy.
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Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
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Indies Introduce is about what independent booksellers do best: discovering exciting debut authors and sharing them with readers across the country. Hear from the booksellers who curated the Summer/Fall 2023 adult list, and the authors whose books were chosen!
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, Alabama) discussed harnessing the power of Airtable.
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.
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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, IA
Danielle Pernell, King's Books - Tacoma, WA
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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 exceptionalities), and help you more effectively capture and grow this reading demographic.
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The Indies Introduce program is about what independent booksellers do best: discovering exciting debut authors and sharing the best with readers across the country. Learn about the title selection process from the bookseller panelists who curated the Summer/Fall 2023 Kids' Indies Introduce list.
Booksellers:
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Book deserts are communities without access to printed books. They exist in all kinds of locations, from urban neighborhoods to rural communities. Independent bookstores in neighboring communities can help fill the gaps in book deserts. This session will present ideas for how indies can expand their reach to support literacy in communities with less access or no access to printed books.
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Our New Member Series:Store Ownership 101 provides new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording.
A full transcription is available for this session. Please note that it is machine-generated and not reviewed for accuracy.
Our New Member Series:Store Ownership 101 provides new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording.
A full transcription is available for this session. Please note that it is machine-generated and not reviewed for accuracy.
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On Monday, April 24, 2023, the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE), the free speech initiative of the American Booksellers Association, hosted a virtual panel on how to fight book bans in your community. The panel discussion, "Local Organizing to Combat Book Bans," featured Chris Finan, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship; Samiya Bashir, Executive Director, Lambda Literary; Vera Eidelman, staff attorney with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project; and Zoe Perzo, Content Coordinator, ABA. It was moderated by Ray Daniels, ABA Chief Communications Officer, and David Grogan, ABFE Director.
Listen to more episodes of BookED, ABA's bookstore education podcast, online or through your favorite podcast app!
Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
Our New Member Series: Intro to ABA Benefits includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.
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Kick off Virtual Wi2023 with a LIVE keynote conversation between Danny Caine (co-owner of the Raven Book Store and author of How to Resist Amazon and Why), Cory Doctorow (co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism), and Stacy Mitchell (Director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance). Together, they will explore the threats posed by corporate consolidation, and far-reaching strategies for fighting back.
Corporate monopolies are as powerful as ever, making it harder and harder for American small businesses to thrive. The explosive growth of monopolizers like Amazon has implications beyond booksellers, too, impacting creative workers, privacy advocates, the environment, and American labor. But with a new antitrust movement already claiming important victories, incremental progress is being made. Bookstores now have an opportunity for bold action to tell our story and resist corporate consolidation. In this discussion between three leading anti-monopoly thinkers, learn about the risks posed by capitalist chokepoints, and gain strategies for how to fight back.
In Ani Di Franco’s debut picture book, The Knowing (Rise x Penguin Workshop), the iconic independent musician captures the awareness that we’re all meant for something greater than the sum of our parts. This knowing is integral to the spirit of independent bookstores and record stores, which operate as agents of cultural change on both local and national levels. And it is this knowing that compels each of us to dedicate our lives to championing the work of musicians and writers in our stores. In this once-in-a-lifetime closing keynote, Courtney Wallace, ABA’s Program Director of Independent Bookstore Day, will lead a conversation between Ani Di Franco, Carrie Colliton, co-founder of Record Store Day, and Robert Sindelar, managing partner of Third Place Books in Seattle. Together, they will discuss the intersection of independent bookstores and record stores, as well as the influence that independent retail spaces have on society.
In Ani Di Franco’s debut picture book, The Knowing (Rise x Penguin Workshop), the iconic independent musician captures the awareness that we’re all meant for something greater than the sum of our parts. This knowing is integral to the spirit of independent bookstores and record stores, which operate as agents of cultural change on both local and national levels. And it is this knowing that compels each of us to dedicate our lives to championing the work of musicians and writers in our stores. In this once-in-a-lifetime closing keynote, Courtney Wallace, ABA’s Program Director of Independent Bookstore Day, will lead a conversation between Ani Di Franco, Carrie Colliton, co-founder of Record Store Day, and Robert Sindelar, managing partner of Third Place Books in Seattle. Together, they will discuss the intersection of independent bookstores and record stores, as well as the influence that independent retail spaces have on society.
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Join a panel of booksellers as they discuss ways that they have become more efficient in basic bookstore operations. The panel will review how to organize invoices for efficiency, provide samples of easy-to-use forms to streamlined processes, discuss how to communicate with staff around new operations procedures, and more. Come to the session to listen and also share your own best practices.
Join a panel of booksellers as they discuss ways that they have become more efficient in basic bookstore operations. The panel will review how to organize invoices for efficiency, provide samples of easy-to-use forms to streamlined processes, discuss how to communicate with staff around new operations procedures, and more. Come to the session to listen and also share your own best practices.
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This session will offer insight into the small data sets you didn’t know you had and how to mine data to better focus your efforts. Information from POS reports, one-question customer surveys, and even understanding store traffic patterns can make the difference between a good day and a great one.
This session will offer insight into the small data sets you didn’t know you had and how to mine data to better focus your efforts. Information from POS reports, one-question customer surveys, and even understanding store traffic patterns can make the difference between a good day and a great one.
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The last few years have revealed the realities of the impact of long-term stress and burnout. Join this conversation with Dr. Corey Yeager, author of How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself, (HarperCollins Christian) and Christine Onorati, ABA board member, bookseller and therapist, as they discuss skills to manage self-care. Topics will include communicating your needs, respecting your limitations, normalizing conversations about mental health and overall well-being, and more.
This session is a celebration of the symbiotic relationships between independent bookstores and other literary institutions. Featuring representatives from Town Hall Seattle and Hugo House, as well as booksellers who have relationships with these institutions. The panelists will highlight how their partnerships began and will discuss the creative and successful results of these ongoing collaborations.
Join Ingram for an informative workshop with essential tips and techniques for using ipage®. Whether you’re new to ipage® or an experienced user, gain a clearer understanding of our platform’s full capabilities so you will spend less time navigating and more time selling. In this session, you will learn how to refine your searches and order, understand tracking within ipage®, and learn more about Direct-to-Home ordering.
The rights of readers and the importance of representation in books is critical to the work of independent bookstores. The wave of book bans threaten these rights and these values as an orchestrated movement attempting to silence historically marginalized voices and experiences. As authors, publishers, and booksellers are under constant attack from random and targeted book bans, ABA has assembled a diverse group to discuss the effects of these bans.
Heather Hall from Green Feather Book Company; Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer ; Laura DeLaney from Rediscovered Books; and Kendrick Washington, Policy Advocacy Director of the Seattle ACLU, will share their experiences as well as their insight and wisdom on how to deal with an increasingly pervasive occurrence. The discussion will be moderated by Ray Daniels, Chief Communications Officer of ABA. Gather here to understand first hand what is at stake when book bans happen in your community and how you can respond or even prevent them.
The rights of readers and the importance of representation in books is critical to the work of independent bookstores. The wave of book bans threaten these rights and these values as an orchestrated movement attempting to silence historically marginalized voices and experiences. As authors, publishers, and booksellers are under constant attack from random and targeted book bans, ABA has assembled a diverse group to discuss the effects of these bans.
Heather Hall from Green Feather Book Company; Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer ; Laura DeLaney from Rediscovered Books; and Kendrick Washington, Policy Advocacy Director of the Seattle ACLU, will share their experiences as well as their insight and wisdom on how to deal with an increasingly pervasive occurrence. The discussion will be moderated by Ray Daniels, Chief Communications Officer of ABA. Gather here to understand first hand what is at stake when book bans happen in your community and how you can respond or even prevent them.
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The ABA Community Forum is a reimagined Town Hall with the same opportunities for members to be heard and more opportunity for constructive discussions about our industry. The full ABA Board will respond to questions and comments from all booksellers; booksellers who would like to send questions in advance can email [email protected]
The ABA Community Forum is a reimagined Town Hall with the same opportunities for members to be heard and more opportunity for constructive discussions about our industry. The full ABA Board will respond to questions and comments from all booksellers; booksellers who would like to send questions in advance can email [email protected]
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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 communities to which you belong.
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 communities to which you belong.
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A school partnership is an important asset to any bookstore. It strengthens the community, introduces books to younger readers, generates future customers, and supports a bookstore’s bottom line. This session is a bookstore-presented panel on how to best establish school connections from square one. Booksellers will learn first steps to take to begin a healthy partnership, key roles in school administration to get to know, how to work with teachers, and what events and means of support a bookstore can provide to create trust and put the store front of mind when opportunities arise. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers.
A school partnership is an important asset to any bookstore. It strengthens the community, introduces books to younger readers, generates future customers, and supports a bookstore’s bottom line. This session is a bookstore-presented panel on how to best establish school connections from square one. Booksellers will learn first steps to take to begin a healthy partnership, key roles in school administration to get to know, how to work with teachers, and what events and means of support a bookstore can provide to create trust and put the store front of mind when opportunities arise. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers.
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A big challenge for all bookstores is the volume and management of publisher invoices. In this session, you’ll hear from Batch colleagues and current Batch users about how they save time and money using Batch to manage their invoices and prepare payments to publishing partners. The session will include discussion and demonstrations with focus on how Batch:
- Automatically and electronically organizes invoices to reduce paperwork and free up time.
- Provides access to invoice information 24x7, enabling you to manage invoices when it’s most convenient for you.
- Provides electronic invoices, allowing you to verify shipments and raise claims for damages or shortages at the point of delivery.
- Allows payments to be prepared and remittances received and stored electronically.
- Links with QuickBooks; enabling automated entry of invoice data directly into QuickBooks.
Whether you refer to them as sidelines, non-book, or gift merchandise, they're important to the profitability and customer experience for many bookstores. Come to this panel to gain insight into the process of curating, merchandising, and selling sidelines.
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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