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- ABOUT
Education Draft
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What if transforming the indie bookselling industry
is as simple as A, B, C?If every bookstore took these three actions, we could reshape our collective future.
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Videos from Children's Insititute 2024
are now available!
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Bookseller Lightning TalksNext Meeting: Thursday, October 10 at 3pm ETHosting Book Clubs and Discussion Groups with Lily Rugo (Harvard Book Store)Boozy Book Fairs with Leah Johnson (Loudmouth Books)Crafting Non-Bookstore Partnerships with Ally Kirkpatrick (Old Town Books) -
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, October 16 at 3pm ET
Contemporary bookselling requires advanced strategic thinking, a keen sense of customer behavior, strong financial literacy, proficiency in ecommerce, digital media analytics, personnel development, community outreach, and, above all, a passion for the written word. As a core component of the ABA's Ends Policies, the ABA offers a wide range of resources as an exclusive benefit for members of the ABA. Designed with the professional bookseller in mind, these resources include tailored educational sessions and events, customizable forms and documents, financial benchmarks and tools, and educational meetups. From bookselling fundamentals to digital challenges, ABA Education equips bookstores with the necessary tools to achieve profitability, differentiate themselves from their competitors, and remain relevant and innovative in the ever-evolving industry.
As the largest gathering of bookselling professionals in the US, ABA's premiere four-day annual industry conference features educational programming for independent bookstores, as well as keynote talks, author appearances, and networking events. The 20th annual Winter Institute (Wi2025) will take place in Denver, Colorado from February 23 to 26, 2025
A three-day event offering unique education for children’s booksellers in addition to general bookseller education sessions, keynote talks, author appearances, and networking events. The 12th annual Children's Institute (Ci2024) will take place in New Orleans, LA from June 10 to 12, 2024.
Browse our collection of education sessions recorded virtually and at ABA Institutes, including:
The Bookstore Resource Library is a collection of customizable templates and resources specifically designed for bookstores. From Consignment Applications to Daily Checklists, we’ve collected essential bookstore forms and documents that you can edit to meet the particular needs of your store, along with toolkits on everything from Advocacy to ABACUS.
Tune in to audio recordings from past ABA education sessions!
Virtual meetups are an opportunity to network and learn from fellow booksellers on a range of topics relevant to bookselling today.
ABACUS Financial Benchmarking Report
ABACUS is a free annual report filled with detailed information highlighting how your store compares to other stores in a range of areas, including profitability, productivity, and financial management.
Owning your own store may seem a natural and attractive idea if you love books; however, passion and knowledge have to be combined with business acumen if your bookstore is to succeed. It's not always easy, but ABA and our community of booksellers and industry professionals are here to help you each step of the way. Our Opening a Bookstore Tool Kit includes information on Provisional ABA Membership, Prospective Booksellers School, and developing your business plan.
In order to serve the diverse needs of our membership, we actively welcome all ideas for future education programming, panelists, and speakers for ABA Conferences and virtual programming.
Printer-friendly versionAbout ABA
The American Booksellers Association, a national not-for-profit trade organization, works with booksellers and industry partners to ensure the success and profitability of independently owned book retailers, and to assist in expanding the community of the book.
Independent bookstores act as community anchors; they serve a unique role in promoting the open exchange of ideas, enriching the cultural life of communities, and creating economically vibrant neighborhoods.
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- Phone: 800-637-0037
- Email: [email protected]
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