Registration Underway for Professional Bookselling Certification Program

The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) announced that it has opened the Events Management module of the Professional Bookseller Certification program, with 14 of the 25 class seats now filled. Booksellers from across the country are welcome to register.

The Event Management module is the first of six courses that are part of the certification program. Currently in development are Inventory Management, Store Operations, and Basic Bookselling, which are expected to begin later in 2021. The remaining modules, Staff & Human Resources and Career Fast Track, are scheduled to launch in 2022. For more information, read NAIBA’s FAQs.

Booksellers and industry staff who would like to be instructors for any of these modules are welcome to submit their name to NAIBA.

The Professional Bookseller Certification Program is the first effort of its kind to draw upon the combined knowledge and experience of independent booksellers to create the modules and education materials while offering a professional certification for these learning opportunities.

“After 15 years of working in the book industry, I finally have the opportunity to be part of creating the professional certification program that I wish I had been able to attend when I was hired for my first bookselling job,” said BrocheAroe Fabian, owner of River Dog Book Co. and an instructor in the Events Management course. “It is an honor to be able to work collaboratively with my colleagues in the industry to compile our knowledge into these courses, to share best practices with other bookstores, and to be part of training the next generation of independent booksellers.”

This certification program will train booksellers in the skills and resources to do their jobs well and certify to the industry that they have achieved a higher level of expertise.

For more information, contact NAIBA Executive Director Eileen Dengler at [email protected] or (516) 333-0681.