Children's Institute 2020

Developed for author guests in the early stages of their writing careers, this lunch panel features booksellers who have formulated best practices for creating events that benefit both stores and authors. This session will cover a number of issues, from author publicity to dealing with pre-event nerves.

Enjoy lunch with children’s book sales reps and learn about great upcoming titles from the publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on the back of bookseller badges. Booksellers are expected to attend.

If you’d like to share questions and feedback about your POS system representatives will be present for a discussion. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and gain insight into maximizing the use of your POS system.

Whether you’re a luddite or have websites and apps you’re an evangelist for, this idea exchange is for you! Attendees will have the opportunity to share and learn about digital resources to help them stay in the know about all things happening in the kid lit world!

You’ve landed your dream job of buying children’s books for a bookstore and you want to hit your order out of the park! In this session, tenured buyers will workshop how to research and plan an upcoming order and share tools that will set new buyers up for success. Attending booksellers are encouraged to bring a laptop or device to use to follow along.

When does curation become censorship and what is a bookstore’s responsibility when it comes to children’s books with content some may disagree with? This is a discussion-based session without prescriptive answers. With the assistance of a moderator, booksellers can share their experiences and listen to others as attendees discuss curating a children’s book space that is appropriate for their store and community.

Whether you live in a flyover state, are just beginning to think about in-store events, or want to broaden your repertoire, authorless events can bring customers into your store, create loyalty, and build your brand. In this session, panelists will share their experiences and successes with authorless events and how other bookstores can monetize off of them.

Book fairs can be a profitable undertaking for a bookstore but for those who have yet to launch a fair, the task can be overwhelming. Booksellers with established relationships with their local school district will learn how to build a realistic timeline and create a checklist to ensure their first book fair goes off without a hitch.

Ship your galleys from Ci8 with FedEx instead of lugging them home. Bring pre-printed FedEx shipping labels to ease your way at the PartnerShip shipping desk. FedEx is charging a $5 handling fee per box, so pack carefully! Visit PartnerShip.com/07ABA to enroll. Questions? Contact PartnerShip’s Keith Korhely at 800-599-2902 x2254 or by email .

The always-popular Galley Room will be filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Ci8 sponsors. The room will open after the morning breakfast keynote on Tuesday and remain open for the duration of the institute.

IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s online platforms for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule a one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Hours are offered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Attendees may schedule their appointments beginning in May.

The Consultation Station offers booksellers the opportunity to meet with representatives from ABA’s business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers. The full list of Consultation Station participants will be available on BookWeb and in the event app. Be sure to check BookWeb frequently, as new participants are added regularly, and make appointments in the coming months.

The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from noise, light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. The Quiet Room is not available for conversations or meetings.