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We're in dark times, and the light is shining out of the windows of bookstores, and that gives hope.”
ABA’s former Senior Strategy Officer, Dan Cullen, said these words last year in an interview in Bookselling This Week on the occasion of ABA’s 125th anniversary. His words ring true right now.
We see you, booksellers. We see you hosting supply drives for immigrant families who are afraid to leave their homes. We see you distributing whistles for protectors and allies. We see you donating the proceeds of sales to charities that support human rights, free speech, and Binc. We see you selling books on history, The US Constitution, how to run for office, mutual aid, and 1984. We see you offering much-needed opportunities for calm, encouragement, and entertainment. We see you gearing up to register voters for the midterms. We see you educating yourself about your rights. We see you providing a gathering space for organizers and neighbors. We see you hosting your own vigils and closing for others. We see you contacting your representatives to demand the rights you’re constitutionally entitled to, the world you want to live in, and the support needed for your business and booksellers to thrive.
Minneapolis-St. Paul area booksellers, thank you for reminding all of us how powerful we are, even when we feel powerless.
You are not alone in these dark times. Reach out to your community — fellow booksellers, neighboring small businesses, your regional bookseller associations — California Independent Booksellers (CALIBA), Great Lakes Independent Booksellers (GLIBA), Midwest Independent Booksellers (MIBA), Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers (MPIBA), New Atlantic Independent Booksellers (NAIBA), New England Independent Booksellers (NEIBA), Pacific Northwest Independent Booksellers (PNBA), Southern Independent Booksellers (SIBA), and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). And reach out to ABA for support. As your trade association ABA is here to help you and your business during this challenging time.
Reach out to us. Share your experience. Utilize resources. Be in community. Ask Binc for financial or mental health support, or, if you’re able, donate money to Binc to support your fellow booksellers. Stay informed and prepared for potential ICE raids. Call your representatives and let them know what you want as their constituent and as a business owner. Participate in ABA’s partnership with the League of Women Voters to get out the vote and to educate your customers about the ways their vote impacts your bookstore and the booksellers who they love. Email [email protected] to share how your store is being impacted right now, the ways that you are supporting your community, and updates about your business. Watch BTW for resources to support your business, advocacy calls to action, and opportunities for community.
Continue to shine your light.
With gratitude,
Allison Hill