SIBA Seeks Volunteers for Overnight Hospitality Program at Wi10

In the spirit of collegiality that is the Winter Institute, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance is launching SHOP (the Southern Hospitality Overnight Program), an effort to provide travel alternatives for booksellers from other parts of the country who are planning to attend the American Booksellers Association’s 10th anniversary celebration in Asheville, North Carolina.

SIBA is asking area booksellers to volunteer to host another ABA member bookseller from a different area of the country who chooses to fly in to an airport other than Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). The plan would then be for the two booksellers to drive into Asheville together.

SIBA members who would like to be SHOP hosts are asked to e-mail Executive Director Wanda Jewell at [email protected] by August 30.

SIBA is developing a SHOP webpage that is timed to launch when ABA opens registration for the Winter Institute in mid-September. The SHOP page will feature information for attendees considering airports other than AVL, including participating hospitable Southerners and the codes for nearby airports. Once attendees sort out their travel plans, SIBA hopes that booksellers will find a volunteer host whose location matches their airport code; the traveling bookseller would then send an e-mail to the prospective host with the subject line “I want to SHOP with you! “ Booksellers would then negotiate their travel arrangements and coordinate pick-up and return plans. As matches are made, SIBA will be notified and the SHOP page will be updated to indicate where there is still availability.

The Winter Institute will be held at Asheville’s historic Grove Park Inn from February 8 to 11, 2015. Watch for news and updates in Bookselling This Week.