Dear Booksellers,

It’s been more than two weeks since we reached out about self-care and mental health. I know I could use a refresher:

Meditations and Mindfulness

You can thank New York’s Governor Cuomo for directing us to this great resource for meditations for children and adults.

Faith

Whatever your belief system, it’s helpful to have a little faith in something right now. I’m guessing many of you will be able to relate to this piece I wrote several years ago on this topic. (Bonus: There’s a mention of Karl Pohrt of Shaman Drum Bookshop, who many of you knew and loved.)

Mental Health Resources and Reminders

  • From BookWeb: Taking Care of Ourselves and Each Other During the COVID-19 Outbreak
  • From Lifeline: Mental health and wellbeing during the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak

Work From Home Help

  • From Lifeline: TOOL KIT: Working from home–how to maintain our mental health wellbeing

Good News

  • From YouTube: Some Good News with John Krasinski Ep. 1
  • From Instagram: Good News Movement

Service

Indie bookstores are committed to community service throughout the year, and right now we’re the beneficiaries of community service in the form of sales, donations, and customer support. Paying it forward is important, even though there’s a lot on our plates; our own acts of service, big or small, offer meaning and connection that’s as good for us as it is for those we serve. Simple opportunities for service are everywhere:

  • Write a letter of support and send it along with a book to a local nursing home to share with a resident who may be isolated or on their own.
  • Donate blood.
  • Make and donate face masks.
  • Help in other ways.
  • Read to a friend’s children to give your friend a break from homeschooling. (Here’s Tegan Tigani of Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle reading to the kids of Christine Onorati, of Word in Brooklyn and Jersey City.)

As Kelly Justice of Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, wrote in her email signoff the other day, “May we learn new ways to connect meaningfully as we go through this together.”

ABA is here for you. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with. We are an incredibly creative, resilient, supportive industry. We’ll get through this, together.

Best,
Allison

Allison Hill
Chief Executive Officer

American Booksellers Association
333 Westchester Ave., Suite S202 
White Plains, NY 10604 | 800-637-0037 
[email protected] • www.BookWeb.org

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