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Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Apply now for CALIBA's Wi2026 Scholarship
Nominate a Bookseller for the ABA Board of Directors
Apply for Binc's Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship
TLDR: This Week's Action Items:
 
 
Winter Institute 2026
Winter Institute 2026 Registration Opens September 15!
 

Winter Institute 2026 will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 23–26, 2026.

Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, and BIPOC booksellers are invited to kick off Wi2026 on February 22 with our pre-conference event, IGNITE!

Bookseller registration for Winter Institute 2026 (Wi2026) will open on Monday, September 15, at 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT.

(Vendors, publishers, and press receive separate registration instructions and communications.)

This year you will bypass BookWeb.org and be directed straight to the event platform, Swoogo.

On the morning of Monday, September 15, booksellers will receive an email from [email protected] with the subject line “Wi2026 Registration Opens Today at 1:00 pm ET!” This email will have a link that brings you directly to the Wi2026 registration page. 

While you wait for registration to open, use this infographic to make sure you have all the information you’ll need to move through the registration form quickly and easily.

You can also check out the Winter Institute 2026 program to see some of the exciting events we have lined up for you!
 
See Wi2026 Program
Indies Introduce
Announcing the Winter/Spring Indies Introduce Titles!
 

ABA is proud to announce the Winter/Spring 2026 Indies Introduce titles.

This year’s list includes 10 adult debut titles and 10 kids' debut titles chosen by a panel of booksellers from across the country.

Once again, publishers are offering specials on all titles appearing on the lists! Check out the Indies Introduce page on BookWeb to learn more about these promotions and how to participate.
 
See Announcement
 
Save the date for these upcoming events:
 
 
Visit Events Calendar
 
Indies First
Indies First Publisher Specials

Start your Indies First preparations with these special publisher promotions! 

Indies First is a national campaign of activities and events in support of independent bookstores, held every year alongside Small Business Saturday (November 29, 2025).

You will need to log in to BookWeb to view these publisher offers.  
See Specials
Back to Basics: Edelweiss Tools in the New View
Back to Basics: Edelweiss Tools in the New View

Join us Thursday, September 25, at 1:00 pm ET, for an Edelweiss 101 session designed for stores who are new to the platform. This session, “Back to Basics: Edelweiss Tools in the New View,” will pay special attention to how to navigate Edelweiss’ new user interface. 
Register Now
Independent Bookstore Day
Sign Up for the Indie Bookstore Day Newsletter 

The 13th annual Independent Bookstore Day will be April 25, 2026!

Sign up for the newsletter to get all the latest updates, including sneak peeks at event exclusives, and tips for ordering items and planning your Independent Bookstore Day celebration. 

You can sign up for the Indie Bookstore Day Newsletter through the Email Subscriptions tab on your Member Dashboard.
Sign Up Now
Audrey Huang, bookseller and ABA DEIC member
125 Years of ABA: Q&A with Audrey Huang

This year marks ABA’s 125th year of helping indie bookstores thrive. As part of our 125th anniversary celebration, we’ll be sharing interviews with key figures in the industry and exploring how the organization has changed since its inception in 1900.

Audrey Huang of Belmont Books in Belmont, MA, has been a bookseller since 2017 and has served on a number of ABA committees and councils over the years. 

This week, Huang sat down with Bookselling This Week to discuss her involvement with ABA and her hopes for the future.
Read Interview
Fall Reading Group Guide
Fall Reading Group Guide Preview

The Fall Reading Group Guide is now available! This guide includes the following categories: Dazzling Debuts, Family and Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction & Memoir, and Small Bites.
Get the Guide
Indies Introduce author Ruby Martinez with her debut title "An Embroidery of Souls."
Indies Introduce Q&A with Ruby Martinez

Ruby Martinez is the author of An Embroidery of Souls, a Summer/Fall 2025 Indies Introduce Kids’ selection. Here, Martinez and Keeley Malone of Ink Drinkers Anonymous in Muncie, IN, discuss An Embroidery of Souls.

You can also visit the ABA podcast, BookED, to listen to this interview.
Read Interview
Indies Introduce author David Greig with his debut title "The Book of I"
Indies Introduce Q&A with David Greig

David Greig is the author of The Book of I, a Summer/Fall 2025 Indies Introduce selection. Here, Greig and James Crossley of Leviathan Books in St. Louis, MO, discuss The Book of I.

You can also visit the ABA podcast, BookED, to listen to this interview.
Read Interview
Indies Introduce author Shafaq Khan with her debut title, "Zenya Lost and Found."
Indies Introduce Q&A with Shafaq Khan

Shafaq Khan is the author of Zeyna Lost and Found, a Summer/Fall 2025 Indies Introduce Kids’ selection. Here, Khan and Lauren Pronger of Chapterhouse Books in Amarillo, TX, discuss Zeyna Lost and Found.

You can also visit the ABA podcast, BookED, to listen to this interview.
Read Interview
Faire Small Business Grant
Apply for Faire’s Small Business Grant

Faire’s small business grant program is designed to help small businesses stock their stores with items from Faire. Selected stores will be awarded $5,000 in Faire credit.

Visit Faire to learn more and apply for this grant.

The deadline to apply is September 30.
Apply Now
Advocacy Updates
Advocacy Updates
 

ABFE and ABA at Regional Shows

American Booksellers for Free Expression’s Philomena Polefrone and other ABA team members are currently attending NEIBA’s Fall Conference. Next week, the team will be attending CALIBA Fall Fest!

Don’t forget to stop by our table to visit the ABA team and make sure to attend our education sessions, “Navigating Attacks on Your Store” and “Measure What Matters: Five Key Numbers to Focus on During Turbulent Times.” (CALIBA's “Navigating Attacks on Your Store” session will be presented by ABA CEO Allison Hill!)

Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa Exempted from Tariffs
Effective September 8, the Trump Administration has enacted an executive order that includes exemptions for imports including cocoa, tea, and coffee from existing US tariffs.

Visit BookWeb’s tariff overview for more information.
 
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