The American Booksellers Association has launched the new webinar series “The Top 10 Things to Know About...” to help booksellers during the final quarter of the year. The final webinars of the year are as follows:

Top 10 Things to Know About: Non-Violent Communication & De-escalation Workshop

The Center for Anti-Violence Education will present a workshop on the importance of non-verbal communication, common communication practices that fuel conflict between individuals, and the stages of escalation. This session will cover a range of de-escalation techniques that are particularly relevant in the context of our current political and social environment and issues that may arise related to customers refusing to wear masks, racism, or political friction. Participants will have an opportunity to pool their own expertise of lived experiences and practice non-violent and de-escalation skills through relevant scenarios in breakout groups. Issues that arise from racism will be addressed in both sessions, but a BIPOC session will offer a space for BIPOC booksellers to discuss those issues more fully.    

• BIPOC Members Only: Friday, October 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.  This session is specifically designed for BIPOC booksellers. Register here [6]
• All Members Welcome: Tuesday, October 27, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Register here [7]

Note: These sessions have limited capacity. Registration will be open on a first come, first served basis, but a recording will be available on BookWeb for one week following each session.

Non-Violent Communication & De-escalation Companion Workshop: Physical Empowerment Self-Defense 101

The Center for Anti-Violence Education will offer a basic self-defense workshop through a trauma-informed lens to provide practical ways to respond to the spectrum of violence, from footwork and blocks to active shooter tips. This workshop will cover self-defense and the emotional aspects of self-defense, as well as concrete steps to take in order to stay safe when under threat. 

• All Members Welcome: Thursday, October 29, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. Register here [8]

Following each webinar, booksellers will find a recap of the discussion in Bookselling This Week as well as on the dedicated “Top 10 Things to Know About…” page on BookWeb [9]. All webinars that previously took place as part of this series are available to watch on the Education Resources page [10].