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Stay up to date with the world of independent bookselling.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Check out ABA's 2026 Q3 Marketing Calendars.
Check out the weekly Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers.
Nominate titles for the Best Books for Young Readers catalog.
TLDR: This Week's Action Items:
 
 
Banned Books Week: Let Books Be
Sign Up Now For Your 2026 Banned Books Week Kit!
 

Sign up now to receive a free Banned Books Week kit!

This year, Banned Books Week will be held October 4–10, 2026. The 2026 theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.”

Banned Books Week kits are sent annually to participating stores and include materials to decorate your store and educate customers about the freedom to read.

The deadline to sign up is June 25.

Supplies are limited and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. If your bookstore has multiple branches, we ask that each branch fill out their own form. (International bookstores are not eligible to receive kits. Online stores are eligible if they do pop-up events.)

Please note: All bookstores that want to receive a Banned Books Week kit must complete this form. Bookstores that signed up for a kit last year will not automatically receive a 2026 kit.
 
Sign Up Now!
Winter Institute 2026 Keynote with LeVar Burton and Janet Jones of Source Booksellers.
For a Limited Time Only: Watch LeVar Burton’s Wi2026 Keynote
 

We can’t stop thinking about this moving conversation between beloved literary icon LeVar Burton and legendary co-owner of Source Booksellers Janet Jones!

LeVar Burton’s Winter Institute 2026 Keynote, “Reading Is Power: How Storytelling and Imagination Can Liberate Us, and Shape a Better World,” is now available on BookWeb!

Whether you attended Wi2026 or weren’t able to make it to Pittsburgh, don’t miss this chance to revisit this keynote.

This recording is only available for a limited time! Don’t wait, this recording will leave BookWeb on August 13.
 
Watch Now!
 
Save the date for these upcoming events:
 
 
Visit Events Calendar
 
ABA's Annual Meeting and Community Forum
Annual Meeting and Community Forum

Register now for ABA’s Annual Meeting and Community Forum on Thursday, May 28, at 2:00 pm ET!

The ABA Community Forum offers an opportunity for members to share challenges their stores are facing, support they need from ABA, and their thoughts about the future of bookselling.

You will need to log in on BookWeb to register for this event. If you do not have a BookWeb account, you may contact [email protected]. 

(Associate members, like publishers, are welcome to register and sit in on this meeting.)
Register Now
Indies Introduce
Indies Introduce Publisher Specials

Last week, we announced the Summer/Fall 2026 Indies Introduce titles! 

Each Indies Introduce season, publishers offer specials on the featured titles! If you haven’t already, sign up now to take advantage of the special publishers’ offers. (If your store has signed up in the past, you do not need to sign up again.)
Sign Up Now
Booksellers Advisory Council
Last Chance: Nominate Booksellers for the BAC

Today, May 13, is the last day to nominate booksellers (or yourself!) for the Booksellers Advisory Council (BAC)!

BAC members provide feedback about ABA programs and services as they are being developed, offer suggestions to help ABA improve programs and better serve bookselling communities, bring concerns of booksellers and bookstore owners to the ABA staff and Board, and generally assist ABA.
Nominate Booksellers
Indies Introduce author Lauren Osborn
Indies Introduce Q&A with Lauren E. Osborn

Lauren E. Osborn is the author of Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl, a Winter/Spring 2026 Indies Introduce selection.

Here, Osborn and Rafe Posey of Third Place Books Ravenna in Seattle, WA, discuss Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl.

You can also visit the ABA podcast, BookED, to listen to this interview.
Read Interview
Wijaya House in Tempe, AZ
Wijaya House Combines Books and Flowers for an Unforgettable Experience

Wijaya House is a cozy bookshop in Tempe, AZ, where customers can pursue a highly curated collection of titles or pick up a stunning custom floral arrangement. 

While combining books and flowers isn’t an unheard of combination, owner Melati Parker has her own unique approach, so we sat down with her to learn more about the store!
Read Interview
RISE Bookselling
RISE Support to Attend the UK Booksellers Association Conference 

You can now apply for RISE support to attend the UK Booksellers Association Conference in the UK on September 20–21, 2026. 

Submit your application by June 5.

RISE Bookselling regularly offers grants to help booksellers attend international trade events. (Applications for RISE support to attend the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair will open on June 5.)
Apply Now
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), an annual celebration of sexual and gender diversities. This year’s May 17 theme is “At the heart of democracy,” and was chosen as “a reminder that truly democratic societies must be grounded in justice and freedom for all.”

If you want to celebrate IDAHOBIT, you can visit may17.org to download the communications kits, find an event near you, or learn more.
Learn More
Pride Month
Get Ready for Pride Month!

Pride Month is almost here! How will you be celebrating Pride Month?

If you haven’t already, you can sign up to participate in the American Independent Business Alliance's (AMIBA) Choose Indie Pride Month, or visit Indie-to-Indie’s Pride Month Playlist for title recommendations!

If you need more ideas, check out what some of our member stores did last year to celebrate.
Advocacy Updates
Advocacy Updates
 

New Book Ban Data Released

American Booksellers for Free Expression is deeply concerned by the findings of PEN America’s new report, which shows a brazen increase in ideological book bans in 2025. Books featuring diverse voices were silenced more than ever, particularly people or characters of color and/or of LGBTQIA2S+ experience. An additional concerning trend emerged this year: an increase in non-fiction book bans. Censorship of history has no place in a free society and should be concerning to everyone, regardless of politics. 

Here are some of the top-line data:

  • 29% of banned titles were non-fiction. These banned titles predominantly focus on social activism.
  • 44% of banned titles feature people or characters of color, the highest ever proportion.
  • 39% of banned titles featured LGBTQIA2S+ people or characters, a 14% increase from last year’s report. This includes 19% of banned titles featuring trans, intersex, or gender non-conforming people or characters, up from 7% last year.
  • 10% of banned titles feature neurodivergent and disabled people or characters.

When you’ve read the full report, check to make sure you’ve written to your US House Representative about HR 7661, which could cause bans like this to appear in every school district in the country.
 
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