Great question. Thanks for asking. Panelists are chosen in a variety of ways. The ABA Education Team carefully reviews institute registration lists in order to identify bookseller experts and new voices. We ask for recommendations from ABA committees including the Education Task Force, Children’s Group Advisory Council, the Booksellers Advisory Council, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. The ABA team works together to consider booksellers we have met at regional events, institutes, virtual meetups, or those we're introduced to through store social media. We also reach out to regional associations for recommendations. The institute post-event surveys are another vehicle ABA team uses to identify booksellers who are interested in presenting the following year. We highly encourage booksellers attending Winter Institute 2023 to reach out to the Education Team at education@bookweb.org if you feel you can speak to a topic on this year’s schedule. Don’t be shy! The Education Team is committed to making sure you are fully prepared, will cheer you on, and will work hard to make sure you have fun! |