Sign Up Now for Children’s Institute

Registration is underway for the American Booksellers Association’s 8th annual Children’s Institute (Ci8), which is open to booksellers at all ABA member stores. The event will take place June 22–24, 2020, at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona, and the conference fee is $139 per bookseller, with a maximum of five booksellers per ABA member company.

The ABA hotel room block is also open for booksellers to make their reservations at the Westin; rooms are $115 per night plus tax. The normal resort service charge of $29 has been waived for Children’s Institute attendees (note that it will show as $29 on your confirmation letter as well as on the total but will be corrected on the final bill). The resort service charge includes access to complimentary Wi-Fi, the WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, and shuttle service to the La Encantada shopping center. To avoid a cancellation fee of one night’s room and tax, cancel at least three days prior to arrival.

Booksellers should plan to arrive early if they intend to participate in any of the activities taking place ahead of the Monday evening opening reception, including the brand-new Bookseller Olympics, which will pit booksellers against each other to test their jacket-flapping, dump-building, and trivia skills. Registration for the Bookseller Olympics is open now.

This year, booksellers can also take advantage of childcare from the Westin Kids’ Club Discovery Room, which is open Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Children must be between 6 months and 12 years old. The cost is $12 per child per hour; an additional child in the family is $8 per hour. Appointments can be made at (520) 577-5882.

While ABA makes its best effort to offer a trusted, cost-effective childcare option, the overall cost can still be prohibitive for booksellers interested in attending ABA events. To offset this expense, several booksellers — parents and non-parents alike — have asked for the option to contribute to a funding pool that ABA will hold in a separate account to be applied to childcare costs at upcoming institutes. Anyone can make a contribution via this form on BookWeb.

Children’s Institute will kick off on Monday evening, June 22, with the First-Timer Orientation and Mentor/Mentee Meet & Greet and the Ci8 Opening Reception and Costume Party at the Westin. Tuesday and Wednesday will be packed with educational programming. Sessions will focus on topics within five tracks of learning: Buying & Selling; Operations & Finances; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Programming & Partnerships; and Advanced Bookselling & Special Topics. See the complete Ci8 program here.

Register now for Children’s Institute 2020. Questions about the institute should be directed to [email protected]. For booksellers who are making travel plans, see ABA’s statement about the coronavirus outbreak.

Booksellers may cancel their Children’s Institute registration at any time by emailing [email protected]. Cancellations received prior to May 1 are eligible for a full refund of registration fees.