Video

Description

How can we survive—and even thrive—in this age of conflict? Negotiation expert William Ury, coauthor of the best-selling Getting to YES, introduces a transformative mindset in his upcoming book, Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict (to be published by Harper Business on February 20, 2024). Drawing on 45 years of experience, Ury presents an actionable framework, a “Path to Possible”, for navigating conflicts of any scale—from boardroom battles to large-scale international conflict —by sharing a range of personal stories intermixed with practical takeaways. Whether you’re facing a family feud, a workplace dispute, or a political crisis, Possible will help you turn any challenge into an opportunity. Equal parts memoir, manual, and manifesto, Possible empowers us all to be “Possibilists”: those who believe in the human potential to transform today’s toughest conflicts creatively and constructively.

 

Speakers

William Ury, author of Possible : How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict (Available now from Harper Business)

 

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Live Captioning

Slide Deck

Description

Clearly defined systems save time and mental energy and can set clear expectations for everyone on a team which means great (consistent!) results. These systems are the start of any training program and can even help improve employer/employee communication and increase sales! Sounds great, right? But where do we start with defining these systems? We start with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Join this session for practical education on writing and following SOPs for your store. Presented by ZingTrain.

 

Speakers

Arianna Téllez Léon, ZingTrain - Ann Arbor, MI

 

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Slide Deck

Writing Standard Operating Procedures Workbook

Description

A radical approach to running a business, Open Book Management empowers everyone in an organization to actively participate in tracking metrics that directly contribute to business success. By tracking key numbers and learning the story behind the scoreboard results, employees get a real sense of how they directly impact the success of the business. Explore what Open Book Management is, why it works, and what it looks like in the day-to-day of your store. Presented by ZingTrain.

 

Speakers

Elnian Gilbert, ZingTrain - Ann Arbor, MI

 

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Intro to Open Book Management Workbook

Description

It’s critical that owners and managers understand Human Resources (HR) practices. This three-hour seminar will be divided into three 45-minute segments with a ten minute break between each segment. In segment one, booksellers will receive a foundational understanding of what HR is, what it is not, and clarity on federal HR rules and regulations that are in place to protect a business. Segment two will provide booksellers with more specifics on HR hot-topics in the small business space including onboarding, employee record keeping, termination, communication and more. The seminar will conclude with a panel discussion with plenty of room for Q&A.

 

Speakers

Randy Egolf, Joseph-Beth Booksellers - Cincinnati, OH

Chonteau McElvin, Spiral Circle - Orlando, FL

Eileen McCormick, Green Apple Books - San Francisco, CA

Martin Patrick, GTM HR Consulting - Clifton Park, NY

 

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Slide Deck

Handbook Policy Checklist

HR Talent Lifecycle

Joseph-Beth Culture Committee

ABA Bookstore Resource Library

Joseph Beth Leadership Competencies

Description

During this session, we will explore various use cases and best practices for using spreadsheets in your bookstore. Whether you use Excel or Google Sheets, you will come away from this session with new ways to analyze, evaluate, and apply information. This session will provide an overview of the basics of spreadsheets and formulas, before delving into more advanced functionalities that are particularly useful for bookstores.

 

Speakers

Hannah Oliver Depp, Loyalty Bookstores - Washington, DC

Emma Kaas, The Norwich Bookstore - Norwich, VT

Beth Seufer Buss, Bookmarks - Winston-Salem, NC

Maddie Ciliotta-Young, Watchung Booksellers - Montclair, NJ

 

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Slide Deck

Using his seven years as the unlikely and heralded Chairman and CEO of Ashley Stewart, a business with deep roots in Black American communities, as the basis for his narrative, James Rhee weaves together a tapestry of ideas including humanism, neuroscience, race, economics, and capitalism to paint a picture of what is possible through the mutually reinforcing forces of kindness, math, and goodwill. His book, red helicopter, empowers readers to lead change in business and in life. As all booksellers know, what we read shapes our society, and James offers a simple path to a world that is at once kinder and more successful. As a long-time private equity investor, an educator as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship at Howard University and Senior Lecture at MIT Sloan School of Management, and student of life, James implicitly and explicitly makes the case for a set of measurements that captures and scales what’s best in us. It is there, alongside a few financial and accounting formulas, where life, money, and joy can be valued.

 

 

 

Bookstore tours are always a highlight of ABA’s in-person institutes, and now you can join in on the fun from the comfort of your home (or bookstore!). These tours will offer booksellers the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain to see how other stores set up their spaces. On September 14, 2023, Kathy Burnette took us on a tour of Brain Lair Books (South Bend, IN). 

 

 

 

We look forward to touring a variety of store models, from traditional to pop-up to mobile, urban to rural, and all across the country. Email [email protected] to submit a proposal for your store!

Bookstore tours are always a highlight of ABA’s in-person institutes, and now you can join in on the fun from the comfort of your home (or bookstore!). These tours will offer booksellers the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain to see how other stores set up their spaces. On September 14, 2023, Hannah Hyde took us on a tour of Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA. 

 

 

 

We look forward to touring a variety of store models, from traditional to pop-up to mobile, urban to rural, and all across the country. Email [email protected] to submit a proposal for your store!

What is a concierge program, and how does it differ from a subscription box? In this panel, booksellers with experience running concierge programs and subscription boxes will answer these questions, give examples of different types of services, and show you how to create an inclusive, one-of-a-kind boutique experience for customers, no matter the size of your store. 

 

Speakers:

Lauren Savage, The Reading Bug - San Carlos, CA

Avery Shelburne, Fabled Bookshop and Cafe - Waco, TX

Jaya Anderson, Red Balloon Bookshop - Saint Paul, MN

Beth Shapiro, Skylark Bookshop - Columbia, MO

 

Flip your children's book fair on its head and turn it into a book fair for grown-ups. This session will delve into how to curate and purchase your book selection based on your customer demographic and site location, merchandizing an offsite location, nonbook items to carry, and any special permits needed to serve food and drinks at an offsite location. 

 

Speakers:

Nicole Menzel, Bound to Happen Books - Stevens Point, WI

Claire Bone, Wild Sisters Book Company - Sacramento, CA

Kassie King, The Novel Neighbor - Webster Groves, MO

 

Book fairs and fundraisers hosted on your store's website or on Bookshop.org are a great way to partner with your community. In this session, we’ll look at examples from stores utilizing ABA’s IndieCommerce platform and Bookshop.org and share how you can get started planning your own virtual book fairs and fundraisers almost right away.

 

Speakers:

Sarah High, Bookshop.org - Brooklyn, NY

Daron Mueller, American Booksellers Association - White Plains, NY

Phillip Davies, American Booksellers Association - White Plains, NY

 

Prolific and debut authors are landing on banned books lists across school districts and in statewide book bans. Bookstores may soon become the only place where children have freedom of choice when it comes to reading. A panel of children's librarians and booksellers will discuss the current state of banned books, how this affects the book industry, and what bookstores can do to support children's freedom to read, particularly in places where that access is being limited.

 

Speakers:

Laura DeLaney, Rediscovered Books - Boise, ID

Lance McGrath, The College of Idaho - CALDWELL, ID

Hannah Reimer, University School of Milwaukee - River Hills, WI

Jake Bowen, Oak Creek Public Library - Oak Creek, WI

 

In a world struggling with issues of acceptance and tolerance, Jonathan Hamilt, Executive Director of Drag Story Hour, shares the necessity of LGBTQAI+ family programming. He explores how the powerful art-form of drag teaches young humans about inclusivity, celebrating diversity, the vital freedom of self-expression, and the role bookstores play in building compassionate communities where there is room for everybody’s story on the shelf.

 

Speaker:

Jonathan Hamilt, Drag Story Hour - New York, NY

 

Pre-order campaigns get readers excited for the books YOU'RE excited about and if you’re just starting out, this session is for you. Booksellers will learn about the nuts and bolts of pre-order campaigns including best practices for marketing to customers, what a successful campaign can look like for your business, how pre-order sales can uplift underrepresented voices and genres, and also the importance of reporting pre-order sales.

 

Speakers:

Christine Bollow, Loyalty Bookstores - Silver Spring, MD

Jessica Palacios, Once Upon A Time Bookstore - Glendale, CA

Joy Preble, Brazos Bookstore - Houston, TX

Jess Stauffer, American Booksellers Association - White Plains, NY