Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
The Ci2023 Speakers and Authors Page is Live
 

The Speakers and Authors page for Ci2023 is now live! See the full list of guests that will be present and start planning your time in Milwaukee.
 
See the Speakers and Authors
Action Items
Welcome New DEIC Members!
 

ABA is happy to announce the new Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee (DEIC) members! 

Thank you to these new members for sharing their time, experience, and commitment with ABA and the industry.

  • Christine Bollow, Loyalty Bookstores, Washington, D.C. and Silver Spring, MD
  • Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH
  • Mariana Calderon, Savoy Bookshop and Café, Westerly, RI
  • Kalani Kapahua, Third Place Books, Seattle, WA
  • David Landry, CLASS Bookstore, Houston, TX
  • Chonteau McElvin, Spiral Circle Bookstore & More, Orlando, FL
  • Rafe Posey, Eagle Harbor Book Co., Bainbridge Island, WA
  • Hillary Smith, Black Walnut Books, Glens Falls, New York 

The DEIC serves as a sounding board and advisory council on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, representation, and access facing the bookselling industry and ABA. New members are selected by the current members, who prioritize making the committee as representative as possible. 

Our thanks to Audrey Huang of Belmont Books, Belmont, MA and Candice Huber of Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop, New Orleans, LA, current members who will be staying on for a few months to help onboard the new council.

The 2023–2025 committee also includes continuing members Gina Carra, BookPeople, Austin, TX; Valeria Cerda, La Revo Books, Milwaukee, WI; and Carolann Jane Duro, Quiet Quail Books & Indigenous Book Club, Highland, CA.

The 2023–2025 DEIC represents stores of different sizes and formats and includes booksellers who self-identify as neurodivergent, first-gen, disabled, fat, nonbinary, Latinx, BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Indigenous, Filipina, African American, and Black, as well as booksellers and bookstore owners, ranging from two years in the business to over 20, from every region of the country.

ABA staff members who serve on DEIC include Allison Hill, CEO; Ray Daniels, CCO; PK Sindwani, CFO; and María Rodríguez, Meetings & Planning Coordinator.  

"Thank you to the outgoing DEIC members. Our meeting and the work we've done together has been one of my favorite parts of my job. I will always be grateful to them for the commitment they've shown to making our industry inclusive and equitable, and to helping ABA support all of our members. I have been honored to get to know them and to work with them," said Hill.
Welcome Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books to the Board

The ABA Board is happy to announce the appointment of Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books, South Bend, IN. Kathy opened Brain Lair Books in the summer of 2018 after a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. She is the President of Our Stories, Our Future, Inc. a local literacy focused nonprofit. Prior to opening the store, Kathy was a school librarian and educator for 16 years. 

Kathy has served on several book committees including The 2018 ALA Michael L. Printz Committee, The 2014 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults committee, The ILF YHBA for Middle Grades, The ILF Eliot Rosewater Awards, and the Indies Introduce Kids Committee. Most recently, Kathy chaired the 2023 Summer/Fall Indies Introduce Kids committee. Kathy is a former member of ABA Booksellers Advisory Council, The ABC Children’s Advisory Council, the ABA nominating committee, and a Board Member of Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA). Kathy has also helped develop several education sessions. She hopes her other dream of a never ending supply of good coffee that makes itself comes true soon.
Buzz Books Editors Panel

The Buzz Books Editors Panel, sponsored by Publishers Lunch and ABA, will be held Wednesday, May 17, at 7:00 pm ET. Join us to see editors in conversation with their breakout authors. This session’s featured authors are İnci Atrek (Holiday Country), Anna Bliss (Bonfire Night), Kim Coleman Foote (Coleman Hill), Nishita Parekh (The Night of the Storm), and Anise Vance (Hush Harbor).

Can’t wait for May 17? This morning, Buzz Books 2023: Fall/Winter edition launched. This sampler is available on NetGalley and Edelweiss.
Register Now
ABA Education: Virtual Bookstore Tours

Bookstore tours are always a highlight of ABA’s in-person institutes, and now you can join in on the fun from the comfort of your home (or bookstore!). On Thursday, May 11, at 3:00 pm ET, Village Books in Bellingham, WA and Title IX in New London, CT will showcase their businesses and present areas of the store that they love the most. 

ABA Education Meetups feature a rotating selection of bookstore education programming on the second Thursday of every month at 3:00 pm ET.

These tours will be recorded and available for viewing on BookWeb.
Register Now
Register Now for Virtual Ci2023!

Virtual Ci2023 will be held Wednesday, June 28, and will feature new and recorded Ci content, networking opportunities, and a virtual Galley Room. Registration for Virtual Ci2023 is $30.

To close out the day, we’ll have a live story time with Donna L. Washington, who will read from her upcoming release Prak Fills the House (Peachtree). 

As always, as many recordings as possible will also be available for free on BookWeb. 
Register Now
Register for ABA's Annual Meeting and Community Forum

ABA’s Annual Meeting and Community Forum will be Thursday, May 25, at 2:00 pm ET. This is an opportunity for members to be heard and for constructive discussions about our industry.

Members can log on to BookWeb to register for this event. If you would like to submit questions or topics in advance, please send them to [email protected]. 
Register Now
ICYMI: 26 Days Until Children's Institute 2023

Last week, HealthShield reached out to attendees who have not yet verified their COVID vaccination status. If you attended Ci10 or Wi2023 you are already verified and will NOT receive a HealthShield text.

Here are some additional Ci2023 reminders:
Save the Date

Save the date for these upcoming events:
What to Know
The Q3 Calendar is Here!

Save time with our Q3 calendar! These handouts are filled with ideas and copy you can use in your bookstore!
Banned Book Coalition Announces This Year’s Theme

The Banned Books Week Coalition announced that this year's Banned Books Week will be held October 1–7 with the theme "Let Freedom Read." Don’t miss this opportunity to draw attention to the harms of censorship! Whether or not you signed up for ABA’s Banned Books Week kit, you can educate and communicate with your customers, advocate at the local school board, and create displays using these assets.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Focus on managing self-care with Bookselling and Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Well Being. This discussion between Dr. Corey Yeager, author of How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself, and Christine Onorati of WORD Bookstores (Brooklyn, NY and Jersey City, NJ) was recorded at Winter Institute 2023 in Seattle.

BINC’s commitment to helping booksellers includes free mental health support. Check out their Mental Health Wellness Program.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. In the midst of rampant anti-LGBTQ legislation, use this day to call attention to the widespread discrimination against LGBTQIA2S+ people and to celebrate sexual and gender diversities.

The 2023 theme is “Together always: united in diversity.” If you’d like to highlight this day in your store, this communications kit offers assets and copy for social media.
 
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