Please note: Each session is tagged with the target audience; however, the sessions are open for all.
Jump to: Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday
Schedule subject to change.
Pick up your badge, the official Wi2023 welcome bag sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children's Books, and a full schedule of Institute events from ABA’s Membership team.
Pick up your badge, the official Wi2023 welcome bag sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children's Books, and a full schedule of Institute events from ABA’s Membership team. Also on hand to greet you will be representatives from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) and Binc.
Seattle is famous for its bookstores and we have lined up a fantastic full-day tour to visit a variety of stores. Watch Bookselling This Week for details!
The Affinity Groups are closed spaces for booksellers and bookstore owners who identify as members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. While allies are greatly appreciated, those who do not identify personally as a member of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities should not plan to attend that group’s coinciding meetup.
Please find the locations for each affinity group below:
BIPOC - Cedar A
Disability - Madrona
LGBTQIA2S+ - Cedar B
Neurodiverse - Juniper
Pre-registration required; space is limited and lunch is provided.
This is a one-day seminar for anyone interested in opening a bookstore or buying an existing store. The workshop is open to all booksellers but is limited to three booksellers per ABA member store. Admission to Winter Institute is optional but guaranteed; the Wi2023 registration fee applies. Registrants interested in purchasing a copy of Owning a Bookstore: The Essential Planning Guide may do so at the discounted rate of $149 plus shipping and handling (reg. $189). The workshop will be facilitated by Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group and co-owners of Story & Song Bookstore Bistro (Amelia Island, FL). Register here
Speakers: Mark Kaufmann, Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group (Amelia Island, Florida); Donna Paz, Paz & Associates Bookstore Training Group (Amelia Island, Florida)
Sign up for 15-minute slots to meet with participating publishers. Registered booksellers will be provided with a link to an online appointment calendar for participating publishers. Booksellers will be offered the opportunity to sign up in January.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings.
Whether you have owned a store for many years and are considering exiting a much-loved business, are planning for your store’s long-term future, or are a bookseller exploring options for keeping a business viable for many years to come, this is the session for you. This seminar will cover store valuation, alternate models for succession, how to raise capital, the importance of an emergency plan, and more!
Speakers: Suzanne Droppert, Lemolo Books (Poulsbo, Washington); David Sandberg, Porter Square Books (Cambridge, Massachusetts); Kate Larson, Ballast Book Company (Bremerton, Washington); Michelle Bear, Edmonds Bookshop (Edmonds, Washington); Sam Kaas, Norwich Bookstore (Norwich, Vermont); Toraya Miller, Washington State’s LGBTQ+ & Allied Chamber of Commerce (Seattle, Washington); Mary Kay Sneeringer, ABA Event Guest (White Plains, New York)
Seattle is famous for its bookstores and we have lined up a fantastic half-day tour to visit a variety of stores. Half Day Options 1 & 2 will leave from Convention Place, Level 1, Seattle Convention Center and Half Day Option 3 and the Half Day Bookstore Tour for International Attendees will leave from Union Street, Level 1, Sheraton Grand Seattle. If you signed up for a bookstore tour, please check your email for more detailed information.
The Independent Publishers Caucus is an advocacy group with a mission to foster a true and mutually beneficial sense of community among independent publishers, between publishers and booksellers, and with readers through a variety of initiatives and shared resources. This meeting is open to all independent publishers and their staff. The schedule will be as follows:
1-2pm: Book Media & Marketing Panel with local Seattle media and reviewers
2-3pm: Bookstore Events & Programs Panel with bookseller experts
3-4pm: Indie Press Town Hall with the IPC Steering Committee
Whether this is your first ever Winter Institute or you have attended many times before, plan to join your colleagues for a brief orientation and the opportunity to meet old and new colleagues. Come in for a 20–30 minute presentation on how to get the most out of your Winter Institute experience, followed by an opportunity to meet other booksellers like you. The ballroom will be set in round tables devoted to affinity and subset groups so that you can meet booksellers with shared interests. You can connect with other Mission-Driven Stores, then head over to your LGBTQIA2S+ affinity group table before joining the conversation at the Pop-up Stores table! Join one table for the entire hour or hop from table to table to meet as many folks as you can.
Join us as we welcome you to Seattle and celebrate W. W. Norton’s 100th Anniversary! Enjoy cocktails, snacks, and the company of your colleagues from around the country. The reception will be co-sponsored by W. W. Norton.
Drop in for this meditation class and begin your day with clarity. Led by bookseller, yoga & mindfulness teacher, and author Alison Zak, you'll be walked through simple meditation techniques that will allow you to set a clear intention for the day ahead.
Alison Zak is an author, yoga & mindfulness teacher, wildlife conservationist, and bookseller/events manager at The Open Book in Northern Virginia. She is the author of Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World which comes out June 27 with North Atlantic Books. Learn more about her at www.alisonzak.com and follow her on Instagram at @animal_asana.
Speakers: Alison Zak, The Open Book (VA) (Warrenton, Virginia)
Pick up your badge, the official Wi2023 welcome bag, and a full schedule of Institute events from ABA’s Membership team.
This Winter Institute keynote conversation between Cory Doctorow (co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism) and Stacy Mitchell (Director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance) 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.
Speakers: Cory Doctorow, Beacon Press; Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (Minneapolis, MN)
Featuring: Remember - Joy Harjo, Michaela Goade; The Real Dada Mother Goose - Jon Scieszka; No Sweet Without Brine - Cynthia Manick; The Wet Hex - Sun Yung Shin; Village - LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs; Common Grace - Aaron Caycedo-Kimura; Short Film Starring My Beloved's Red Bronco - K. Iver; Your Kingdom - Eleni Sikelianos; Relinquenda - Alexandra Regalado; apocrifa - Amber Flame; I am Kavi - Thushanthi Ponweera; Binded - H Warren; Quiet Night Think - Gillian Sze; A Warning About Swans - R. M. Romero; Galápagos: Islands of Change - Leslie Bulion; Side Notes From The Archivist - Anastacia-Renee; Bread and Circus - Airea D. Matthews
While you will find individual Affinity Group spaces at the Sheraton for the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and Neurodiverse communities, this room at the Seattle Convention Center will be open to all Affinity Groups during the event.
Open to booksellers from all regions, this space is an opportunity to grab a beverage, chat with colleagues, or just put your feet up and take a break before heading back to the conference.
“...poetry began when somebody walked off of a savanna or out of a cave and looked up at the sky with wonder and said, ‘Ahhh.’ That was the first poem.” — (Lucille Clifton)
Take a moment to experience the “ahhh.” Stop by the Poetry Theater to watch a video of poets reading their work.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Wi2023 sponsors. A limited supply of book totes will be on hand. The PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk will also be open to assist in shipping your galleys back to your bookstores.
The Affinity Groups are closed spaces for booksellers and bookstore owners who identify as members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. While allies are greatly appreciated, those who do not identify personally as a member of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities should not plan to attend that group’s coinciding meetup.
Please find the locations for each affinity group below:
BIPOC - Cedar A
Disability - Madrona
LGBTQIA2S+ - Cedar B
Neurodiverse - Juniper
Please check your badge for your room assignment. Join your colleagues and members of the ABA Board in conversation about issues raised by the Breakfast Keynote. Group and room assignments are printed on attendee badges.
Publishing colleagues are invited to gather for conversation and education on a topic to be announced.
Speakers: Arlene Lynes, Read Between the Lynes (Woodstock, Illinois); Evan Schertz, Maria's Bookshop (Durango, Colorado); Susan Hans O'Connor, Penguin Bookshop (Sewickley, Pennsylvania); Angela Schwesnedl, Moon Palace Books (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Bookstores are places that go beyond merchandising — they transport readers to other worlds. The physical environment of your store should do the same and evoke the transportive experience of reading. Curate delight through all five senses! Partner with local candlemakers to create scent marketing for your store; bring in signature sweets; learn how to use cinematic color palettes that capture the mood of your store; create playlists that set the vibe and show off your booksellers’ personalities; even unique textiles tell a story. Find the magic ingredients that can be used to curate the unique experience of being in YOUR store. In this workshop, you will reimagine your store as a garden of earthly delights, and come up with a plan to curate delight in your store.
Speakers: Revati Kilaparti, Old Firehouse Books (Fort Collins, Colorado); Cris Siqueira, Lion's Tooth (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Samuel Krowchenko, Literati Bookstore (Ann Arbor, Michigan); Cassie Clemans, Roundabout Books (Bend, Oregon)
In this session, frontline booksellers will discuss the issues of our time. Come to this session to share meaningful solutions with your colleagues on day-to-day business operations and personal concerns that you deal with in the bookstore: Use of masks, free speech conversations, mental health emergencies with customers, shoplifting, DEI best practices, and more. (All)
Speakers: Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books (St. Louis, Missouri); Cliff Helm, Left Bank Books (St. Louis, Missouri)
A good hiring process will help you attract and retain high-quality booksellers who are passionate about your mission. Onboarding new employees, while time consuming, can make or break that employee’s successful transition from a new employee to an involved and productive employee. If it’s been a while since you took some time to think about hiring and onboarding in a strategic way, then this session is for you! Booksellers who have developed processes around these critical bookstore procedures will share hiring and onboarding strategies for bookstores of all sizes. (Managers)
Speakers: Erin Chervenock, Village Books (Bellingham, Washington); Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books (St. Petersburg, Florida); Camden Avery, The Booksmith (San Francisco, California); Hannah Oliver Depp, Loyalty Bookstore (Washington, District of Columbia)
There are many factors that go into publisher decisions for author visits and tours, and bookseller event grids help them make those choices. In this session, publishers will provide sample event grids, explain how they use them to determine author tours, and share info on what has changed in their approach to events since 2020. Booksellers will learn:
- The number one thing publishers are looking for in potential events
- How to make your event proposal stand out
- How to make your grids more specific
- Important ways to follow up after you submit the grid
- The ways in which publishers determine virtual vs in-person vs hybrid events
Speakers: Ronnie Kutys, HarperCollins Publishers (New York, New York); Melissa Bullock-Campion, Macmillan Publishers (New York, New York); Emily Hall Schroen, Main Street Books (St. Charles, Missouri); Wendy Ceballos, Abrams Books (New York, New York)
IndieCommerce 2.0 (IC 2.0) is ABA’s newest e-commerce platform, designed and built specially for independent bookstores. IC 2.0 is a full-service e-commerce solution as well as a powerful marketing tool for bookstores to drive online customers into their stores. Whether you are already an IndieCommerce or IndieLite store, or looking for an e-commerce solution for your store, this session is for you.
Presented by Geetha Nathan, Senior IndieCommerce Manager, this session will highlight the powerful feature set available on IC 2.0, plans for the future, and success stories from new IC 2.0 bookstores. Current IndieCommerce and IndieLite stores can walk away with a clear understanding of the migration process, how their current site will be migrated over to the new platform, and what they can do to prepare for it.
Speakers: Geetha Nathan, American Booksellers Association (White Plains, New York)
All children who pass through the doors of a bookstore are potential lifetime customers. In this session, John Schu author of This Is a Story(Candlewick Press) will educate booksellers on the fundamentals of literacy and development during the critical years of early childhood education, and equip stores with the tools and language needed to help young readers forge a path toward a lifelong love of reading. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers. (All)
Join four new genre authors as they come together in conversation to discuss how they use and subvert different genre tropes to reimagine worlds past, present, and future.
Moderator: Calvin Crosby, Owner, The King’s English Bookshop (Salt Lake City, UT)
Panelists: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Chain Gang All Stars, Pantheon; Chloe Gong, Immortal Longings, Gallery/Saga Press; Taj McCoy,Zora Books Her Happily Ever After, MIRA; Andrew Joseph White,The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, Peachtree
Check your badge to find your room assignment!
Winter Institute book sales reps will share great upcoming titles from publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges. Booksellers are expected to attend. Coffee will be served.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
Led by a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) facilitator, this workshop will address current conflicts in retail spaces. Participants will have practice opportunities with real-life scenarios. (All)
Speakers: Caprice Hollins, Cultures Connecting, LLC, (Renton, Washington)
Regular and honest communication creates stronger teams and stronger customer connections. However, our current age is one of great volatility and great change, making successful communication harder than ever. But don’t despair! Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy, authors of Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies (Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster) will offer you insight on how to improve your communication skills. You will learn principles of psychology and human behavior that you can leverage to effectively and empathetically communicate with your team and customers. You will learn how to apologize when needed, and why good apologies are essential, powerful, and restorative. Even in the face of large ideological conflicts, good communication is possible! Join us for this important conversation!
Speakers: Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy, authors of Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies
Used and remaindered books provide an opportunity to improve a store’s cost of goods and grow sales while providing unique titles that add to discoverability. In the first part of this session, a panel of booksellers will discuss the art of buying and selling used and remaindered books. Attendees will then have the opportunity to join a breakout discussion on either subject. Led by the panelists, these discussions will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions and increase your knowledge of sourcing, evaluating, buying, displaying, and marketing used or remaindered books. (Buyers)
Speakers: Erin Ball, Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, Washington); Gary Lovely, Prologue Bookshop (Columbus, Ohio); Kevin Ryan, Green Apple Books (San Francisco, California)
This financial modeling workshop will help you evaluate potential new initiatives for your business. Whether you think it’s time to expand your space with another physical or pop-up location, you want to begin or increase your offering of used books or non-book items, or you’re considering adding a cafe or bar, this workshop will walk you through the financial analysis to help you make sound business decisions. Preliminary work in the Strategic Planning Series: Part I, Part II, and Part III will benefit attendees of this session.
Speakers: Peter Brous, Seattle University Business School (Seattle, Washington)
In this interactive workshop, booksellers will have the opportunity to practice service leadership skills. Service leaders turn the traditional “power leadership” model upside down by focusing on empowering instead of commanding. Managers who practice service leadership have found that this method supports potential, creativity, and purpose in their employees. If this approach is different from what you practice and you want to learn more, come join the conversation! And if you are already practicing servant leadership, you will enjoy the opportunity to refresh your skills. (Managers)
Speakers: Elnian Gilbert, ZingTrain (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Independent bookstores’ online sales have increased over 600% since 2019. We’ve made incredible progress, but it’s clear we need to do more to lock in our gains and keep growing. The indie channel sells only about 2% of the books bought online versus roughly 10% of physical retail. Our goal is to increase indie channel e-commerce sales by 5x so that local, independent bookstores capture our share of online sales.
Presented by Andy Hunter, founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, and Phil Davies, ABA’s Director of Ecommerce/IndieCommerce, this session will discuss strategies to increase consumer awareness of the importance of supporting local businesses when shopping online. We will review how to increase online sales for all stores — no matter what platform you use — by looking at digital marketing, audience growth, conversion rates, and other best practices for e-commerce.
We’ll also examine how online consumer behavior has dramatically changed in the post-COVID world, including trends we are seeing on IndieCommerce sites and how stores are adapting. Together, we can leverage our combined market power to capture our fair share of online book sales, safeguard our future, and be a model for how local businesses can hold their own against giant monopolist e-retailers.
Speakers: Andy Hunter, Bookshop.org (New York, New York); Phillip Davies, ABA (White Plains, New York)
What better way to spend the evening than with your bookseller colleagues over food and books! Place a store bookmark or note in the pages of your favorite book, wrap it, add an intriguing review on the wrapped cover, and bring it to this reception. Dinner options will be available. Current publisher sponsors for this event include, Arcadia Publishing, Catapult, Counterpoint Press, Europa Editions, Haymarket Books, Nimbus Publishing, Rare Bird, Soft Skull Press, Steerforth Press, University of Toronto Press, Verso, and World Editions.
Join Harlequin Trade Publishing’s launch of Canary Street Press, the new romance-forward imprint. Featuring authors Adriana Herrera, Susan Mallery, Taj McCoy and Synithia Williams, swag, ARCs, and an Ice Cream Sundae Bar! Feb. 21, 2023, in the Cirrus ballroom, starting at 8:30pm.
Drop in for this meditation class and begin your day with clarity. Led by bookseller, yoga & mindfulness teacher, and author Alison Zak, you'll be walked through simple meditation techniques that will allow you to set a clear intention for the day ahead.
Alison Zak is an author, yoga & mindfulness teacher, wildlife conservationist, and bookseller/events manager at The Open Book in Northern Virginia. She is the author of Wild Asana: Animals, Yoga, and Connecting Our Practice to the Natural World which comes out June 27 with North Atlantic Books. Learn more about her at www.alisonzak.com and follow her on Instagram at @animal_asana.
Speakers: Alison Zak, The Open Book (VA) (Warrenton, Virginia)
Pick up your badge, the official Wi2023 welcome bag, and a full schedule of Institute events from ABA’s Membership team.
Join Michelle MiJung Kim, award-winning author of The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change, and Hannah Oliver Depp of Loyalty Bookstores for a thought-provoking conversation about how each of us can — and must — be a part of creating a more equitable world. Drawing upon her lived experiences as a queer immigrant woman of color and her work across various industries, Michelle MiJung Kim will share how to move beyond performative allyship to building real solidarity toward social change. Known for her compassionate criticality, Kim’s session is one you won’t want to miss.
While you will find individual Affinity Group spaces at the Sheraton for the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and Neurodiverse communities, this room at the Seattle Convention Center will be open to all Affinity Groups during the event.
The Affinity Groups are closed spaces for booksellers and bookstore owners who identify as members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. While allies are greatly appreciated, those who do not identify personally as a member of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities should not plan to attend that group’s coinciding meetup.
Please find the locations for each affinity group below:
BIPOC - Cedar A
Disability - Madrona
LGBTQIA2S+ - Cedar B
Neurodiverse - Juniper
Open to booksellers from all regions, this space is an opportunity to grab a beverage, chat with colleagues, or just put your feet up and take a break before heading back to the conference.
“...poetry began when somebody walked off of a savanna or out of a cave and looked up at the sky with wonder and said, ‘Ahhh.’ That was the first poem.” — (Lucille Clifton)
Take a moment to experience the “ahhh.” Stop by the Poetry Theater to watch a video of poets reading their work.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Wi2023 sponsors. A limited supply of book totes will be on hand. The PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk will also be open to assist in shipping your galleys back to your bookstores.
Whether your store or a portion of your bookstore is classified by the IRS as a nonprofit or not, you can still raise funds by applying for grants. Come to this session to learn more about the art and science of grant writing for both nonprofit and for-profit bookstores.
Speakers: Brandon Lueken, Bellevue College (Bellevue, Washington)
Following Wednesday morning's breakfast keynote, join your colleagues for an idea exchange about how to close the gap between good intentions and real change in your stores and in the bookselling community.
It is vital for a business to have visual content that is brand-focused, eye-catching, and easy to read. Luckily, with an array of low-cost and accessible web tools now available, it has never been easier. This panel features graphic design experts from a variety of backgrounds who will show examples of their work and discuss the graphic design tools they use to enhance their store’s promotional content, branding, signage, social media, events, and more. No matter your level of skill or comfort with graphic design, you will be able to apply something you learn here to your business. (All)
Speakers: Larry Law, Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (Woodridge, Illinois); Valentin Zuniga Contreras, The Book Jewel (Los Angeles, California); Carolann Duro, Quiet Quail Books (Highland, California); Melissa Napolitano, American Booksellers Association (White Plains, New York)
If you are a user of Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and you haven’t yet examined your user analytics from these platforms, today is the day! This workshop will teach you how to access analytics on each of these platforms and interpret the data in order to spot trends. Bring your laptop and get ready to dive into your data. But wait, there’s more! Bring what you learn in this workshop to the session tomorrow at 9:05 am, Using Your Social Media Data to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan, and learn how to use your social media analytics data to create a more personalized and relevant marketing plan.
Speakers: Christina Ciampa, All She Wrote Books (Somerville, Massachusetts); Candice Huber, Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop (New Orleans, Louisiana); Jordan Brannon, Coalition Technologies (Seattle, Washington)
Build a culture of great service and treat your customers and colleagues like royalty! Join Elnian Gilbert, an educator with ZingTrain, as she teaches the recipe for providing service in a way that will make your store stand out! You will learn easy-to-implement (and teach) skills. When you leave this session you will understand what a culture of service looks like, how to deliver it consistently, and how to measure results.
Speakers: Elnian Gilbert, ZingTrain (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
What is a book fair if not a mobile and pop-up bookstore appearing at different times at various locations? In this session, bookstores with robust and successful book fair programs will share how to apply their book fair business principles of inventory management, set up, and execution to the inventive business models of pop-up and mobile bookstores. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers.
Speakers: Molly Olivo, Child's Play Toys and Books (Washington, District of Columbia); Heather Hebert, Children's Book World (Haverford, Pennsylvania); Valeria Cerda, La Revo Books (Greenfield, Wisconsin); Holly Weinkauf, Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Developed for author guests in the early stages of their writing careers, this 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.
Speakers: Nina Barrett, Bookends & Beginnings (Evanston, Illinois); Patricia Ayala, Politics and Prose Bookstore (Washington, District of Columbia); Elizabeth Bluemle, The Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne, Vermont); Cristina Nosti, Books & Books (Coral Gables, Florida); Robert McDonald, The Book Stall (IL) (Winnetka, Illinois)
Winter Institute book sales reps will share great upcoming titles from publisher sponsors. Seats are assigned; table numbers are printed on bookseller badges. Booksellers are expected to attend. Coffee will be served.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
The Indies Introduce program is about what independent booksellers do best: discovering exciting debut authors and sharing the best with readers across the country. Enjoy lunch while learning about the title selection process from the bookseller panelists who curated the Winter/Spring 2023 Indies Introduce list. Many of the Winter/Spring 2023 Indies Introduce debut authors will be present to read a short passage and answer a question posed by one of the bookseller panelists. Authors will be available to sign copies of their debut books following the presentation.
Professional development — that is, identifying goals and learning new skills — is vital for employee satisfaction. Providing opportunities for professional development signals that an employer values the skills and potential the employee brings to the store. Facilitated by bookstore owners who have successfully created road maps for employee success, this idea exchange is the place to be if you are looking for ways to create a more fulfilling work environment. (Managers)
Speakers: Meghan Hayden, River Bend Bookshop (Glastonbury, Connecticut); Rebecca Leber-Gottberg, Rediscovered Books (Boise, Idaho)
Employers use diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to create a more equitable, inclusive, and dynamic workforce. Designing and developing a DEI program involves four main phases:
1) Data collection and analysis to determine the need for change;
2) Strategy design to match business objectives;
3) Implementation;
4) Evaluation and continuing audit of the plan.
This session will be lead by Jason Thompson, author of Diversity and Inclusion Matters: Tactics and Tools to Inspire Equity and Game-Changing Performance (Wiley). Booksellers will leave this session with practical implementation ideas to begin a DEI program for their store.
Speakers: Jason Thompson, VP for DE&I at Western Governors University
Join a conversation with your bookselling colleagues to discuss the returns process and how best to navigate the what, when, and how of returns. Are you pulling by section or publisher, and why? Are you pulling quarterly, monthly, daily, and why? How do you manage staff scheduling and minimize your freight costs? Have you used the publisher return percent number when you create your criteria for returns? So much to discuss! Note: This conversation will focus on workflow and operations and will not include a discussion on inventory management. (All)
Speakers: Jenny Cohen, Waucoma Bookstore (Hood River, Oregon); Elayna Trucker, Napa Bookmine (Napa, California); Zachary Matelski, McLean & Eakin Booksellers (Petoskey, Michigan)
Running a small store requires a big dose of creativity and a lot of organization — even larger stores could benefit from learning how small stores strategically outsource! If you are wondering if it is possible to outsource some of your needs like bookkeeping and marketing, take a deep breath and come to this session to hear solutions from colleagues who own and operate small stores. They will walk you through a cost-benefit analysis and help determine if outsourcing is the best solution for your business. (Owners)
Speakers: Kathy Burnette, Brain Lair Books (South Bend, Indiana); Alyson Turner, Source Booksellers (Detroit, Michigan); Kelly Justice, The Fountain Bookstore (Richmond, Virginia); PK Sindwani, ABA (White Plains, NY)
Many bookstores have found creative financial stability and community buy-in through the nonprofit model. Others have added a nonprofit component to their business. By recognizing the intrinsic social and community benefits of independent bookstores, these bookstore owners have moved beyond the retail model and transitioned some or all of their business into a nonprofit organization. Hear from a panel of booksellers who will walk you through a brief overview of how and why they chose to operate in this way.
Speakers: Anne Waters, Hub City Bookshop (Spartanburg, South Carolina); Jamie Rogers Southern, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, North Carolina); Sonja Coates, Seminary Co-Op Bookstore (Chicago, Illinois); Errol Anderson, Charis Books & More (Decatur, Georgia)
Gen Z — ages 10 to 25 years old — is the largest population in the world. Come to this fun panel where members of Gen Z will share their thoughts on merchandise, marketing, and partnerships that engage this essential group of readers with buying power. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers.
Speakers: Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, Washington); Rachel; Aurora; Payton
This event with ABA CEO Allison Hill and others from the ABA team is an opportunity for booksellers and bookstore owners to ask questions, share concerns or experiences, express their needs for support, or just stop by to say hello. This is an open house; no appointment necessary.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
If you’d like to share questions, feedback, and ideas about your POS system with representatives of your system, plan on attending one of the POS Vendor Meetups. These group discussions are an opportunity for users to ask questions and gain insight into maximizing the use of their current POS system. Locations for each POS vendor meetup to be announced.
Speakers: Dave Lucey, Page 158 Books (Wake Forest, North Carolina); Mark Hochreiter, Computac, Inc. (Hanover, New Hampshire); Carley Bortolin, Bookmanager (Kelowna, British Columbia); Dave Walton, IBID/Wordstock (Wexford, Pennsylvania); Jim Bean, Anthology - Software for Booksellers (Traverse City, Michigan); Michael McKnight, Addico Solutions, Basil Bookstore Software (Loganville, Georgia); Wes Freeman, Booklog (Chicago, Illinois)
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
Thanks to the generosity of ABA’s publisher sponsors, dozens of authors and illustrators will be on hand to chat with booksellers and autograph new and forthcoming titles at the Author Reception. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Come meet an amazing group of Graphix Scholastic authors and illustrators with drinks and delicious desserts! Booksellers will meet amazing graphic novel creators, get a first look at their upcoming books, and take home galleys and gifts!
Featuring: Jarrett Krosoczka (author and illustrator of Sunshine), Betty Tang (author and illustrator of Parachute Kids), Rex Ogle (author of Four Eyes), and Akim Aliu (Dreamer: Growing Up Black in the World of Hockey)
Pick up your badge, the official Wi2023 welcome bag, and a full schedule of Institute events from ABA’s Membership team.
Enjoy breakfast while hearing about great upcoming titles from more of Winter Institute’s publisher sponsors. Seating is unassigned for this breakfast.
The always-popular Galley Room is filled with ARCs of upcoming titles from Wi2023 sponsors. A limited supply of book totes will be on hand. The PartnerShip/FedEx Shipping Desk will also be open to assist in shipping your galleys back to your bookstores.
While you will find individual Affinity Group spaces at the Sheraton for the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and Neurodiverse communities, this room at the Seattle Convention Center will be open to all Affinity Groups during the event.
The Affinity Groups are closed spaces for booksellers and bookstore owners who identify as members of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. While allies are greatly appreciated, those who do not identify personally as a member of the BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and/or Neurodivergent communities should not plan to attend that group’s coinciding meetup.
Please find the locations for each affinity group below:
BIPOC - Cedar A
Disability - Madrona
LGBTQIA2S+ - Cedar B
Neurodiverse - Juniper
Open to booksellers from all regions, this space is an opportunity to grab a beverage, chat with colleagues, or just put your feet up and take a break before heading back to the conference.
“...poetry began when somebody walked off of a savanna or out of a cave and looked up at the sky with wonder and said, ‘Ahhh.’ That was the first poem.” — (Lucille Clifton)
Take a moment to experience the “ahhh.” Stop by the Poetry Theater to watch a video of poets reading their work.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from stimuli such as noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Put your feet up and relax. This space is not available for conversations or meetings. Also, please note that there are additional places to sit throughout the Seattle Convention Center.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
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.
Speakers: Nic Bottomley, Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights (Bath, Somerset); Nathan Halter, Batch for Books (Hartford, Connecticut); Christine Onorati, WORD Bookstores (Brooklyn, NYC and Jersey City, NJ)
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.
Speakers: Susan Williams, M. Judson Booksellers & Storytellers (Greenville, South Carolina); Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, Texas); Heather Jeziorowski, Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, Georgia)
Compensation is the foundation of supporting employees. In addition to paying a living wage, there are creative non-monetary benefits that stores can offer employees to support them and to demonstrate their value. Facilitated by bookstore owners who have had some success with exploring, building, and launching creative benefit programs for their staff, this idea exchange is an opportunity to crowdsource solutions and share successes. (Managers)
Speakers: Lane Jacobson, Paulina Springs Books (Sisters, Oregon); Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First (Chicago, Illinois)
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.
Speakers: Elizabeth Freeman, East Bay Booksellers (Oakland, California); Susan Kehoe, Browseabout Books (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware); Kelly Evert, Village Books (WA) (Bellingham, Washington); Mack Burner, Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, Colorado)
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.
Speakers: Davis Shoulders, Atlas Books (Johnson City, Tennessee); Lee Francis, Red Planet Books and Comics (Albuquerque, New Mexico); Janet Jones, Source Booksellers (Detroit, Michigan); Jonah Zimiles, [words] Bookstore (Maplewood, New Jersey)
Note: For this workshop you will need a free Google account. The session will use Google Classroom. Please bring a device you can easily work on.
If you attended the social media workshop yesterday, welcome back! If you didn’t attend the social media workshop yesterday, you are still welcome. This session will offer insight on how to translate your social media analytics from Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook into a personalized and relevant marketing plan to improve your social media engagement, traffic, and sales. To get the most out of this workshop, review your social analytics data on the platforms listed ahead of time. (All)
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]
Enjoy lunch and meet an additional lineup of authors and illustrators who will be on hand to chat with booksellers and autograph their new and forthcoming titles.
Batch for Books is an electronic invoicing system created for booksellers and publishers in the U.S. The software-assisted service helps initiate payments between vendors and bookstore retailers at no cost to bookstores. Register for a one-on-one appointment here: Slot 1 or Slot 2 or drop by our table at the Vendor Showcase.
The Bookshop.org platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help maintain their presence in local communities. Register for a one-on-one appointment or drop by the Bookshop.org table at the Vendor Showcase. Register here
IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are ABA’s fully transactional, content-rich e-commerce platforms designed specifically for independent bookstore websites. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce, IndieLite, and IndieCommerce 2.0 are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team. Space is limited, but walk-ins are welcome. Booksellers will be able to sign up for appointments starting Wednesday, January 18 here
Meet with small and mid-size publishers for informal conversations. These publishers, many of which are first-time ABA event sponsors, will have sample copies of their books, and some will have additional copies for giveaways.
Check out gift vendors, ABA business solution partners, POS vendors, and other service providers at the expanded Vendor Showcase (formerly the Consultation Station). Check the Wi2023 site on BookWeb.org often for the full list of participating vendors and to make appointments.
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.
Speakers: Laura DeLaney, Rediscovered Books (Boise, Idaho); Heather Hall, Green Feather Book Company (Norman, Oklahoma); Kendrick Washington, ACLU of Washington; Ray Daniels, American Booksellers Association (White Plains, New York); Maia Kobabe, Simon & Schuster
Heads or Tails is back! Play for a chance to win $500 and support your fellow booksellers at the same time!
Donate $20 for a blinkee pin (a.k.a a chance) to win or $35 for two blinkee pins (a.k.a. two chances) to win the grand prize of $500. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Arcadia Publishing, all proceeds will help a bookseller.
Use this link https://secure.givelively.org/donate/book-industry-charitable-foundation... to purchase your blinkee pins ahead of time and pick up your blinkee pin from a Binc representative at the Winter Institute. Binc staff and volunteers will be on-site at registration and the Vendor Showcase.
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.
Speakers: Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop (Athens, Georgia); Emma Nichols, Norwich Bookstore (Norwich, Vermont); Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana (Frederick, Maryland); Darryl Peck, Righton Books (St Simons Island, Georgia)
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.
Speakers: Dr. Corey Yeager, HarperCollins; Christine Onorati, WORD Bookstores (Brooklyn, NY and Jersey City, NJ)
This idea exchange is an opportunity for booksellers to come together to discuss what’s happening surrounding banned books in their community and how individuals are responding to situations as they arise. Attendees will come away from the idea exchange with advice for resolution and support, and a network of peers to reach out to throughout the year. Presented by the ABC Children’s Group for all booksellers. (All)
Speakers: Brein Lopez, Children's Book World (Los Angeles, California); Diane Capriola, Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, Georgia)
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.
Speakers: Cynthia Compton, 4 Kids Books & Toys (Zionsville, Indiana); Melissa DeMotte, The Well-Read Moose (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
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.
Speakers: Trent Shaw, Ingram Content Group (La Vergne, Tennessee); Leslie Jobson, Ingram Content Group (Berkeley, California); Johanna Hynes, Ingram Content Group (La Vergne, Tennessee)
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.
Speakers: Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle, Washington); Stesha Brandon, Seattle Public Library (Seattle, Washington); Gary Luke, Hugo House (Seattle, Washington); Megan Castillo, Town Hall Seattle (Seattle, Washington); Spencer Ruchti, Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, Washington)
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.
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.
Speakers: Danny Caine, Raven Book Store (Lawrence, Kansas); Cory Doctorow, Beacon Press; Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (Minneapolis, MN)
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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