Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Thank You for Joining Us in Cincinnati!
 

Thank you to everyone who attended Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati last week!

If you have not already done so, please fill out the post-event survey (check your inbox for the subject line “Wi2024: Tell Us About Your Experience!”). Your feedback helps us continually improve our events. 

We’re already preparing for our next event: Children’s Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA!

Check BTW next week for more exciting details…
A Note from the ABA Board of Directors
 

We heard you at the Community Forum. The topics were complex and they deserve real and thoughtful consideration. We will respond to you very soon. Please look for a special Board edition in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience.
 
Save the date for these upcoming events:
 
 
Visit Events Calendar
 
Welcome New ABA Staff

Join us in welcoming Robert Zarate-Morales to the ABA team as our new Technology Operations Coordinator. Robert will be working to support technology across departments, on our websites, and throughout our projects. He has a history of technology work in nonprofits, with an emphasis on using technology to increase equity and reduce bias.
 
Black History Month
 

As we near the end of Black History Month, here are some upcoming titles by Black authors to help you highlight Black creators all year.

(All of these titles were present at Winter Institute, so if you attended you may already have them in your galley room haul!)

Middle Grade
Timid: A Graphic Novel by Jonathan Todd (April 2024)
The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (May 2024)

YA
Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis (March 2024)
Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams (May 2024)
Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron (June 2024)

Adult Fiction
The Minotaur at Calle Lanza by Zito Madu (April 2024)
Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris (May 2024)
Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles (July 2024)
Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi (July 2024)

Nonfiction
Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real about the End by Alua Arthur (April 2024)
A Black Girl in the Middle: Essays on (Allegedly) Figuring It All Out by Shenequa Golding (May 2024)
Black Meme: The History of the Images That Make Us by Legacy Russell (May 2024)
A Body Made Home: They Black Trans Love by K. Marshall Green (August 2024)
Take Our 4th Annual Membership Survey

Please take a moment to fill out our annual Membership Survey. The information we gather in this survey helps us make sure we’re providing you with the education, resources, and opportunities you find most valuable. The data you share helps us with government relief advocacy, publisher conversations about terms and the needs of bookstores, and press inquiries about the indie channel. 

The deadline to complete this survey is Monday, March 4, at 11:59 pm ET.
Take Survey
Have You Renewed Your Membership?

All ABA memberships run from February 1 through January 31. Member stores can opt to pay dues on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, but all members need to complete the renewal process to update their store’s data. Please be aware that membership costs have increased by $10. 

Check out this infographic to make sure you have everything you need for renewal. You can review membership benefits on BookWeb.
Renew Now
Doing More with More Than Words

More Than Words is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit bookstore dedicated to helping young adults take charge of their lives.

We talked to Director of Business Operations Kristin Carmichael to learn more about the nonprofit’s origins, growth, and the amazing work they’re doing.
Read Interview
Indies Introduce Q&A with Soyoung Park

Soyoung Park is the author of Snowglobe, a Winter/Spring 2024 Indies Introduce Kids’ selection. Here, Park and Paul Swydan of The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, MA, discuss Snowglobe.
Read Interview
Book Biz Book Club

Join fellow booksellers to discuss selected business books, ranging from retail strategy and customer engagement, to time management and workplace dynamics. The Book Biz Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of every month.

On Wednesday, March 20, at 3:00 pm ET, join us for a conversation about I Don't Just Work Here: The New Purpose of Workplace Culture by Felicia Joy and Elena Grotto (9781637744680).
Register Now
Indie Comics, Graphic Works, and Manga Bestseller List

Here is the Indie Comics and Graphic Works Bestseller List, including Manga, based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending February 18.
See List
Advocacy Updates
 

Winter Institute 2024 has come and gone! The Ask ABFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression) desk spent the week taking questions, tips, and donations, meeting members, and doing the kind of organizing that can only happen in person. The “Banned Books Preparedness” panel was also a success: Philomena from ABFE moderated a panel of Leah Johnson from Loudmouth Books (IN), Angela Cooper from the ACLU of Kentucky, and Cathy Berner from Blue Willow Bookshop (TX). Around 100 attendees heard the stories of each panelist and began making an organizing plan. 

Meanwhile, the American Booksellers Association led five Ohio booksellers to meet with Senator Sherrod Brown’s regional office in Cincinnati during Winter Institute. The purpose of the meeting was to voice support for the Credit Card Competition Act, which is scheduled for a hearing on April 9 at 10:00 am ET in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
 
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