BookED

How you plan your calendar impacts the flow of business. Knowing what’s coming down the pike can better help you navigate surprises. This session asks you to review what you can anticipate during any calendar year and plot the constants (holidays, frontlist ordering windows, weekly bestseller reporting, ABACUS, national and regional events) so that when variables (staff vacations, events & book fairs, emergencies) arise, you already have one foot out of triage and can better handle whatever comes at you.

Session Video & Resources

 

Recorded June 12, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

 

Theme song by Constant Companion

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's American Booksellers for Free Expression celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read.   From our friends at Libro.fm, today's Free Expression Friday features a special episode of the Libro.fm Podcast featuring ABA's Philomena Polefrone, PhD! In this episode, Philomena discusses her role in advocating for intellectual freedom through the ABA. The conversation touches on book bans, censorship, and the role of bookstores as spaces for activism. The discussion covers the history of book bans, grassroots organizing, and the legal challenges involved in defending diverse literature.

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Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.

About Philomena: Philomena Polefrone is the Advocacy Associate Manager at the American Booksellers Association, where she champions intellectual freedom and free expression. With a background in bookselling and a decade in academia, Philomena brings a unique perspective to her work, blending literature and activism. She leads initiatives like the Set Books Free Project, aimed at combating book bans and promoting access to diverse, often censored literature. Her passion for defending the right to read makes her a key advocate in the fight against censorship.

Books discussed on today’s episode:

• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell
• The 1619 Project by Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman & Jake Silverstein
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal
• Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

 

Follow the American Booksellers for Free Expression on Instagram at @ABFEFreeExpression to keep up with ABFE's advocacy efforts and tune into their Free Expression Friday series. Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

BookED Theme by Constant Companion

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. On September 12, 2024, Cathy Berner of Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX) discussed how to run an author event signing line in your store.

Session Video & Resources

 

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

Theme by Constant Companion

This workshop is designed to empower bookstore managers and owners with the knowledge and tools to cultivate truly inclusive environments. Over the course of two hours, this interactive session will guide participants through the nuances of recruitment, hiring, and onboarding through the lens of anti-racism, inclusivity, and accessibility. Building on the principles advocated by RISEwithUS (Radical Insightful and Solutions to create Equity), this workshop aims to integrate equity-centered practices and leadership into the very foundation of bookstore operations. 

Session Resources

 

Recorded June 10, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

 

Theme song by Constant Companion

Measuring turns is a good indicator of the vitality of your children’s department or bookstore. The session will explain turns in terms of your business’ health, compare children’s bookstore and children’s categories’ turns to general bookstores and non-children’s categories, teach booksellers how to measure turns, and the importance of watching them. With a foundational understanding, attendees will be allotted time during the session to brainstorm goal-setting and plans for growth for underperforming categories.

Session Video & Resources

 

Recorded June 12, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

 

Theme song by Constant Companion

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's American Booksellers for Free Expression celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read.

When Caroline Richmond was young, she experienced firsthand the impact of seeing herself represented in literature for the first time. Now, as Executive Director of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in literature, she works to give that experience to others. Richmond joined Philomena Polefrone from ABFE to discuss her own path to doing this work, WNDB's mission, and how they've been able to make a difference.

Follow the American Booksellers for Free Expression on Instagram at @ABFEFreeExpression to keep up with ABFE's advocacy efforts and tune into their Free Expression Friday series. Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

Theme by Constant Companion

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. On September 12, 2024, Erin Matthews of The Last Word (Mt. Airy, MD) discussed the Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Loans.

Session Video & Resources

 

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

Theme by Constant Companion

With young adult and middle-grade readers enjoying romance, it’s no secret that romance is good for business and good for young people who are exploring their identities and feelings. Whether it’s their first crush or a big love song-worthy experience, this discussion-based session will examine how reading about romantic relationships can be a young person’s first experience with different expressions of identities in relationships, creating boundaries, and giving/receiving consent — all while growing your business.

Session Video & Resources

 

Recorded June 12, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

 

Theme song by Constant Companion

This session will teach booksellers how to calculate the cost of goods sold (COGS) and maximize gross profit/margin. Panelists will lay the foundation for an understanding of COGS so that booksellers can confidently compare their information to ABACUS data. During this session, booksellers will be given time to examine what they’ve learned and identify areas in their own business for better COGS management so that they can begin applying these concepts when they return to their stores.

Session Video & Resources

 

Recorded June 11, 2024 at Children's Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

 

Theme song by Constant Companion

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. On September 12, 2024, Philomena Polefrone of ABFE discussed Observing Banned Books Week in Your Store.

Session Video & Resources

 

Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.

 

Theme by Constant Companion