Binc and Macmillan to Offer Scholarships to Nine Booksellers

The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation and Macmillan have announced they will once again team up to offer the Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship for the third year in a row.

Nine scholarships in total will be awarded to booksellers from underrepresented groups to cover the cost of travel, lodging, and meals (up to $500) to attend a fall show for any of the nine regional independent bookselling associations: NEIBA, SIBA, NAIBA, MPIBA, NCIBA, MIBA, SCIBA, GLIBA, and PNBA. Applications opened on June 15 and are due July 15.

Julie Jarema of Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia, a 2018 scholarship recipient, told Binc that the scholarship allowed her to attend her very first SIBA fall trade show in Tampa, Florida.

“Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to travel to meet other booksellers, listen to an amazing lineup of lectures and panels, and get excited about the upcoming books. It was a great introduction to the larger bookselling community,” she said.

“We have received such overwhelmingly positive responses from recipients of past years, and are delighted to continue our partnership with Binc,” said Macmillan Diversity & Inclusion co-chairs Malati Chavali, vice president of publishing strategy operations, and Angus Killick, vice president and associate publisher of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. “We believe the program is exposing a new and diverse generation of booksellers to a critical industry forum for exchange of ideas and knowledge, and setting a path for a healthy future for independent bookselling.”

To be eligible to apply, booksellers must fall into at least one of the following categories: people of color, defined as people of African/African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latin American, Middle Eastern, or Native American/Indigenous descent; people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer; or people with disabilities (includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses).

In additon, the applicant’s store must be a member of one of the regional independent bookseller organizations, and the applicant must be a regular part-time or full-time employee of the bookstore. The applicant must be currently employed and have 90 days of continuous employment with the bookstore.

Those who apply must answer three brief essay questions, and the winners will be anonymously selected by a panel composed of Binc board members, booksellers, bookstore owners, and a representative from Macmillan.

“The Binc Foundation exists to help booksellers thrive,” said Binc Executive Director Pam French. “By working with Macmillan Publishers to bring diverse voices to regional trade shows, we’re enriching conversations and improving the bookselling industry as a whole.”

Booksellers can find out more and apply here. Applications must be completed by July 15, 2019.