Exciting Educational Programming on Tap for Children’s Booksellers at Winter Institute

Children’s booksellers have several special educational events in store for them at next week’s Winter Institute 10 in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to four sessions presented by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA that focus on issues of importance to retailers specializing in children’s books, there will be opportunities to learn about exciting new books and authors at rep picks lunches, meet-and-greets, and more.

ABC Group Presents: Campaigning for Diversity — Expanding Your Inventory and Customer Base

On Monday, February 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Heritage Ballroom A, booksellers who share a concern about the lack of diversity in children’s books will hear from four panelists on what steps can be taken in the ongoing campaign to reach out to new readers and promote diverse titles to all audiences. Booksellers serving all types of populations will learn about the resources available to them for identifying non-majority stories, how to foster conversations among staff and customers about the need for diverse books, and how to ensure that displays represent all cultures and make everyone feel welcome. The session’s panelists are:

• Elizabeth Bluemle of The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vermont
• Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Zionsville, Indiana
• I.W. Gregorio, author and vice president of development for We Need Diverse Books
• Sara Hines of Eight Cousins in Falmouth, Massachusetts (Moderator)

ABC Group Presents: Launching a Book Fair Company

On Tuesday, February 10, from 10:20 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Taft Room, owners and managers looking to take their store book fairs to the next level will hear from four panelists about the logistics of setting up a separate company to produce in-school book fairs, when it’s the right time to branch out, and how to manage staffing, warehousing, insurance, and offsite POS systems. The session’s panelists are:

• Becky Anderson of Anderson’s Bookshops in Naperville, Illinois
• Emily Scheinman of Bananaseed Book Fairs in Belmont, California
• Anne Schmalfeld of Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Linda McLoughlin Figel of pages: a bookstore in Manhattan Beach, California (Moderator)

ABC Group Presents: Upselling for Kids

On Tuesday, February 10, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Taft Room, four bookseller panelists will discuss the keys to mastering the upsell. As some literacy experts suggest, every parent purchasing a book for their child’s grade level should also purchase a book two grade levels ahead for reading aloud. From pairing fiction with nonfiction to matching book characters to plush toys and adding on finger puppets, card games, and gift cards, this session will look at how to optimize handselling and displays to better suggest gift purchases. The session’s panelists are:

• Amie Mechler-Hickson of Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Lauren Savage of The Reading Bug in San Carlos, California
• Janelle Smith of Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane, Washington
• Diane Capriola of Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia (Moderator)

ABC Group Presents: Creating Successful Book Subscription Clubs and School Registries

On Wednesday, February 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the Wilson Room, panelists experienced in running profitable clubs and registries will discuss how booksellers should get started, as well as the resources and tools available to help. Attendees will learn how to price their clubs, how to choose titles for a range of tastes while keeping an eye on margins, and how to effectively market to customers with nieces, nephews, and grandchildren living outside their community. The session’s panelists are:

• Leslie Hawkins of Spellbound Children’s Bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina
• Kerri Poore of Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.
• Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo of Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York
• Holly Weinkauf of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minnesota (Moderator)

Prior to the “Campaigning for Diversity” session on Monday, children’s booksellers are encouraged to attend the “All About Independent Bookstore Day” session to learn more about the May 2 event. Ann Seton of Hicklebee’s, a store specializing in children’s books that hosted a very successful California Bookstore Day last year, will be on the panel to offer advice on how children’s interest stores can make the most of the national bookselling celebration. “All About Independent Bookstore Day” will be held in Heritage Ballroom A on Monday, February 9, from 3:35 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Beyond these information-packed education sessions, children’s booksellers will have several other opportunities to meet their favorite children’s authors and illustrators and learn more about upcoming titles for children, middle-graders, and young adults.

Monday afternoon’s keynote speech will feature young adult author John Green, who will give a talk titled “On We Go: Some Thoughts on the Last Ten Years and the Next Ten,” from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the Heritage Ballroom.

Booksellers can take a load off on Monday night and shake hands with some of their favorite authors at the Scholastic Meet & Treat, to be held offsite at The Century Room (above Pack’s Tavern), 20 South Spruce Street in downtown Asheville, from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The event will feature children’s authors Pam Muñoz Ryan (Echo, February 2015), Ally Carter (Embassy Row # 1: All Fall Down), Sarah Weeks (Glamourpuss), and Dan Gemeinhart (The Honest Truth), as well as a full ice cream feast.

Publisher sales reps who are ready to discuss upcoming children’s and young adult books will be at the Rep Picks Speed Dating Lunches on Monday, February 9, from 11:35 a.m. to 1:35 p.m. and Tuesday, February 10, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Table assignments were sent out in January, and booksellers who expressed their preference for children’s books will be seated with children’s publisher sales reps.

A favorite event at Winter Institute, the Author Reception and ABFE Silent Auction will also include children’s book authors and illustrators, who will be on hand to greet booksellers and sign copies of galleys and finished books. The reception will take place on Tuesday, February 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Booksellers looking to take home some prized artwork from a beloved children’s illustrator should plan to bid during ABFE’s silent auction, held in the Atrium across from the Grand Ballroom.

On the last day of Winter Institute, booksellers will hear about upcoming Indies Introduce New Voices picks for children and teens at the Books and Authors Lunch: Small and University Presses and Indies Introduce event, to be held Wednesday, February 11, from 12:25 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Over the past few months, volunteer booksellers have read through piles of manuscripts to find and champion the top children’s and young adult debut talent coming up this year; they will announce their favorites at this event, as well as the top adult debuts, following presentations by small and university presses.

See the full Winter Institute schedule here.