EDUCATION SCHEDULE
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After attending education please take a moment to take our quick education survey. Your participation is vital in keeping our programming relevant and valuable to our membership. Thank you!
Education Retreat Treats sponsored by Sourcebooks! Attendees attending the Owners, Buyers, Frontline or Managers Retreats will receive a special Retreat Treat from our friends at Sourcebooks. |
Education: 10:00 am–1:00 pm ET
Multiple tracks of education are available to pick and choose from.
Download Education Handouts >>
Multiple tracks of education are available to pick and choose from.
Download Education Handouts >>
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Buyers Retreat | Marquette A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Chris
Educators: Johanna Hynes (PGW / Two Rivers / Ingram Academic), Hilary Gustafson (Literati), Kate Schlademan (The Learned Owl, The Thrifty Owl), Victoria Ford (Comma)
Welcome, savvy bookstore buyers! Join us for a motivating education session tailored to elevate your buying game. From maximizing Edelweiss to working with reps, optimizing author event orders, engaging schools and B2B clients, mastering budgeting, collaborating with owners and frontline booksellers and more. You must be a buyer to attend this session.
Frontline Bookseller Retreat | Marquette B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Betsy Von Kerens
Educators: Anitra Budd (copywriter, editor, educator, and public speaker), Broche Fabian (Sourcebooks, River Dog Book Company), Suzy Takacs (The Book Cellar)
Downloadable Handouts >>
Attention all vibrant and dedicated frontline booksellers! Join your fellow Frontline Booksellers for an education session tailored just for you. As the vital bridge between books and readers, you hold the key to unlocking the full potential of your store and community. Join us for an upbeat and professionally enriching education panel where you'll learn how much of an impact you have on your store as well as an array of strategies to elevate the store's atmosphere and boost the bottom line. You must be a Frontline Bookseller to attend this session. Topics include:
• Dealing with difficult customers
• Fostering customer and community relationships
• Educating yourself on upcoming titles and creating a relationship with publisher reps when you aren't the buyer
• How to advocate for yourself with management and owners
• How to present and advocate ideas that might improve the store and career development
Managers Retreat | Lasalle A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Carrie Koepke
Educators: Kristen Sandstrom (Apostle Islands Booksellers, WI) and Tim Smith (Schuler Books, MI)
Join us for an exclusive education session designed to ignite your passion, foster connections, and equip you with the tools to thrive as a bookstore manager. As the heartbeat of your bookstore, you juggle roles that bridge the gap between frontline bookselling and ownership. Prepare for an engaging and professionally enriching conversation that will elevate your skills and join the camaraderie of fellow managers. This is a safe space conversation and will remain confidential. Topics include:
• Workflow strategies
• Time management
• Creating a productive and harmonious work environment
• De-escalation
• Work/Life balance
• Navigating owner/manager/staff relationships and communication and more
Owners Retreat | Lasalle B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Nina Barrett
Join fellow bookstore owners in a private space where you can delve into some of the most critical topics store owners must wrestle with in order to succeed in an ever-more challenging retail environment. Using wisdom and best practices gleaned from some of the Midwest’s most successful and long-standing store owners as our jumping-off point, our round-table discussions will tackle tough topics from handling HR responsibilities and navigating living wages, to handling burnout and creating your succession plan. You must be an owner to attend this session.
Educators: Johanna Hynes (PGW / Two Rivers / Ingram Academic), Hilary Gustafson (Literati), Kate Schlademan (The Learned Owl, The Thrifty Owl), Victoria Ford (Comma)
Welcome, savvy bookstore buyers! Join us for a motivating education session tailored to elevate your buying game. From maximizing Edelweiss to working with reps, optimizing author event orders, engaging schools and B2B clients, mastering budgeting, collaborating with owners and frontline booksellers and more. You must be a buyer to attend this session.
Frontline Bookseller Retreat | Marquette B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Betsy Von Kerens
Educators: Anitra Budd (copywriter, editor, educator, and public speaker), Broche Fabian (Sourcebooks, River Dog Book Company), Suzy Takacs (The Book Cellar)
Downloadable Handouts >>
Attention all vibrant and dedicated frontline booksellers! Join your fellow Frontline Booksellers for an education session tailored just for you. As the vital bridge between books and readers, you hold the key to unlocking the full potential of your store and community. Join us for an upbeat and professionally enriching education panel where you'll learn how much of an impact you have on your store as well as an array of strategies to elevate the store's atmosphere and boost the bottom line. You must be a Frontline Bookseller to attend this session. Topics include:
• Dealing with difficult customers
• Fostering customer and community relationships
• Educating yourself on upcoming titles and creating a relationship with publisher reps when you aren't the buyer
• How to advocate for yourself with management and owners
• How to present and advocate ideas that might improve the store and career development
Managers Retreat | Lasalle A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Carrie Koepke
Educators: Kristen Sandstrom (Apostle Islands Booksellers, WI) and Tim Smith (Schuler Books, MI)
Join us for an exclusive education session designed to ignite your passion, foster connections, and equip you with the tools to thrive as a bookstore manager. As the heartbeat of your bookstore, you juggle roles that bridge the gap between frontline bookselling and ownership. Prepare for an engaging and professionally enriching conversation that will elevate your skills and join the camaraderie of fellow managers. This is a safe space conversation and will remain confidential. Topics include:
• Workflow strategies
• Time management
• Creating a productive and harmonious work environment
• De-escalation
• Work/Life balance
• Navigating owner/manager/staff relationships and communication and more
Owners Retreat | Lasalle B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Nina Barrett
Join fellow bookstore owners in a private space where you can delve into some of the most critical topics store owners must wrestle with in order to succeed in an ever-more challenging retail environment. Using wisdom and best practices gleaned from some of the Midwest’s most successful and long-standing store owners as our jumping-off point, our round-table discussions will tackle tough topics from handling HR responsibilities and navigating living wages, to handling burnout and creating your succession plan. You must be an owner to attend this session.
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
The Impact of Book Bans | Marquette B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Ashley Valentine
Educators: Cree Myles (Penguin Random House, All Ways Black), Johnathan Pope (Prologue Bookshop), Grace Hagen (The Novel Neighbor), Sabrina Baeta (Freedom to Read, a consultant for PEN America)
Join us for a critical and time-sensitive educational session focused on safeguarding the fundamental rights of readers and championing the imperative role of representation in literature, specifically within the context of independent bookstores. The escalating wave of book bans constitutes a formidable threat to these rights and values, orchestrated to suppress historically marginalized voices and experiences. Authors, publishers, and booksellers find themselves relentlessly targeted by both random and deliberate book bans, profoundly impacting our literary community.
Experts will share their experiences and impart invaluable insights on effectively combating the pervasive issue of book bans. Leave with actionable strategies to effectively respond to book bans in your community and proactively thwart future attempts at censorship.
Excellence in Ecommerce | Marquette A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Zach Matelski
Educators: Sarah High (Bookshop.org), Jeff Spakowski and Dave Walton (Wordstock/IBIDie), Dan Brewster (Prologue Bookshop), Karen Farmer (Libro.fm)
Discover the invaluable insights and strategies to enhance your online sales potential, regardless of your ecommerce platform. Experts will provide you with a comprehensive arsenal of top-tier techniques designed to escalate your conversion rates and foster success in generating online sales. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your ecommerce approach and improve your online sales. This education session will begin with a presentation followed by guided roundtable discussion organized by ecommerce platform.
Edelweiss Advanced Buying Workshop | LaSalle A (5th floor) | Session Lead: BrocheAroe Fabian
Educators: Jason Gold (Edelweiss), Broche Fabian (Sourcebooks, River Dog Book Company), Andy Holcomb (Fujii Associates), Alex Ness (McLean and Eakin)
Presentation >>
Take your Edelweiss ordering to the next level. Edelweiss is the ultimate hub for book industry professionals, designed to make frontlist title ordering a breeze! Join experts, in a captivating session packed with advanced ordering practices.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or just ready for the next level, this session is tailored to elevate your buying game. Uncover general best practices and expert insights, while learning from common mistakes. This is a working session so please bring your laptop.
Zine Workshop | LaSalle B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Gary Lovely
Educators: Kalen Landow (Microcosm Publishing), Rosa Ransom (Mac's Backs-Books on Coventry)
Take a deep dive into the world of Zines in this engaging and interactive workshop. Whether you're an aspiring Zine creator, an enthusiast eager to delve into this unique medium, or you want to take your Zine selling game to the next level. This session is tailored to equip you with actionable skills and insights. Join us to explore what Zines are, learn effective strategies for selling Zines, identify popular Zine genres, master the art of Zine-making, and much more.
What are Zines?
Zines are self-published, small-circulation publications that often focus on niche or alternative topics. They are typically created independently by individuals or small groups and are characterized by their do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos. Zines can take various forms, including handmade pamphlets, booklets, mini-magazines, or even digital formats.
These publications cover a wide range of subjects, including personal experiences, art, poetry, fiction, social and political commentary, music, fan fiction, and more. Zines provide a platform for marginalized voices, enabling creators to express themselves freely without the constraints often imposed by mainstream media.
Zines have a rich history, dating back to the 1930s and 1940s with science fiction fanzines. They gained popularity in various subcultures, such as punk, riot grrrl, and LGBTQ+ communities, during the 1970s and 1980s. The spirit of zine-making continues to thrive in the digital age, where online zines and digital self-publishing platforms have expanded their reach even further.
Educators: Cree Myles (Penguin Random House, All Ways Black), Johnathan Pope (Prologue Bookshop), Grace Hagen (The Novel Neighbor), Sabrina Baeta (Freedom to Read, a consultant for PEN America)
Join us for a critical and time-sensitive educational session focused on safeguarding the fundamental rights of readers and championing the imperative role of representation in literature, specifically within the context of independent bookstores. The escalating wave of book bans constitutes a formidable threat to these rights and values, orchestrated to suppress historically marginalized voices and experiences. Authors, publishers, and booksellers find themselves relentlessly targeted by both random and deliberate book bans, profoundly impacting our literary community.
Experts will share their experiences and impart invaluable insights on effectively combating the pervasive issue of book bans. Leave with actionable strategies to effectively respond to book bans in your community and proactively thwart future attempts at censorship.
Excellence in Ecommerce | Marquette A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Zach Matelski
Educators: Sarah High (Bookshop.org), Jeff Spakowski and Dave Walton (Wordstock/IBIDie), Dan Brewster (Prologue Bookshop), Karen Farmer (Libro.fm)
Discover the invaluable insights and strategies to enhance your online sales potential, regardless of your ecommerce platform. Experts will provide you with a comprehensive arsenal of top-tier techniques designed to escalate your conversion rates and foster success in generating online sales. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your ecommerce approach and improve your online sales. This education session will begin with a presentation followed by guided roundtable discussion organized by ecommerce platform.
Edelweiss Advanced Buying Workshop | LaSalle A (5th floor) | Session Lead: BrocheAroe Fabian
Educators: Jason Gold (Edelweiss), Broche Fabian (Sourcebooks, River Dog Book Company), Andy Holcomb (Fujii Associates), Alex Ness (McLean and Eakin)
Presentation >>
Take your Edelweiss ordering to the next level. Edelweiss is the ultimate hub for book industry professionals, designed to make frontlist title ordering a breeze! Join experts, in a captivating session packed with advanced ordering practices.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or just ready for the next level, this session is tailored to elevate your buying game. Uncover general best practices and expert insights, while learning from common mistakes. This is a working session so please bring your laptop.
Zine Workshop | LaSalle B (5th floor) | Session Lead: Gary Lovely
Educators: Kalen Landow (Microcosm Publishing), Rosa Ransom (Mac's Backs-Books on Coventry)
Take a deep dive into the world of Zines in this engaging and interactive workshop. Whether you're an aspiring Zine creator, an enthusiast eager to delve into this unique medium, or you want to take your Zine selling game to the next level. This session is tailored to equip you with actionable skills and insights. Join us to explore what Zines are, learn effective strategies for selling Zines, identify popular Zine genres, master the art of Zine-making, and much more.
What are Zines?
Zines are self-published, small-circulation publications that often focus on niche or alternative topics. They are typically created independently by individuals or small groups and are characterized by their do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos. Zines can take various forms, including handmade pamphlets, booklets, mini-magazines, or even digital formats.
These publications cover a wide range of subjects, including personal experiences, art, poetry, fiction, social and political commentary, music, fan fiction, and more. Zines provide a platform for marginalized voices, enabling creators to express themselves freely without the constraints often imposed by mainstream media.
Zines have a rich history, dating back to the 1930s and 1940s with science fiction fanzines. They gained popularity in various subcultures, such as punk, riot grrrl, and LGBTQ+ communities, during the 1970s and 1980s. The spirit of zine-making continues to thrive in the digital age, where online zines and digital self-publishing platforms have expanded their reach even further.
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
Edelweiss for Non-Ordering Workshop | LaSalle A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Melissa Weisberg
Educators: David Mallman (Norton) Educators: John Rubin (Edelweiss), Jessilynn Norcross (McLean & Eakin)
Are you using Edelweiss to its fullest potential? Gain valuable insights into how publishers leverage Edelweiss to access crucial bookstore sales analytics, strategize author tours, and derive sales estimates tailored to your region and beyond. This session will feature publishers and booksellers highlighting many of the non-ordering tools available in Edelweiss. Additional topics include submitting reviews, section analytics, finding communities, coop, ARCs and more. Leave with actionable tips and best practices. This is a working session so please bring your laptop.
Talk Nerdy to Me: Mastering the Art of In-Conversation Author Events | Marquette A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Maxwell Gregory
Moderator: Mary Mollman (Madison Street Books)
Educators: Daniel Goldin (Boswell Book Company), Pamela Klinger-Horn (Literature Lover's Night Out (TM)), Keir Graff (Author), Sarah Hollenbeck (Women and Children First)
Calling all event coordinators! This immersive session is designed to empower you with expert insights and techniques for hosting captivating in-conversation author events. Unravel the art of creating meaningful and interesting dialogues that leave a lasting impact on your audiences. Learn the best practices for pairing facilitators with authors to guide thought-provoking conversations. From curating engaging questions to setting the stage for enriching interactions, this session promises to elevate your author events to new heights.
Abookadabra: The Magic of Handselling and Genre Roundtables | LaSalle B (5) | Session Lead: Shane Mullen
Educator: Anitra Budd (copywriter, editor, educator, and public speaker), Denise Williams (author)
Handselling Handouts >>
Handselling is the cornerstone of a successful bookstore. Delight in the company of seasoned bookselling experts as they divulge their handselling strategies, unleash invaluable tips for smarter buying, and reveal dynamic approaches for both active and passive selling. Join us for an engaging two-part session that promises fun and professional growth.
In the first part, you'll be treated to an enthralling handselling presentation that will leave you energized and eager to put your newfound knowledge into action. Then get ready to immerse yourself in genre-based roundtables, skillfully guided by expert booksellers and authors. Gain valuable insights and expert guidance on optimizing sales for genres with untapped potential in your bookstore or take your love of a specific genre to the next level. Hear about top sellers in each genre and embrace the art of creating magical reading experiences for your customers!
Roundtables: Horror, Poetry, Queer, Romance, Sci-Fi, YA
This Is a Fire Drill: Preparing for and Avoiding Crises | Marquette B (5th floor) | Session Lead: ABA Staff
Join ABA staff as we review some of the top crises stores have experienced this past year. From cybersecurity threats to a car driving into the store, we will provide resources and tips to prepare for and, when possible, avoid these crises at your store. Topics will include: fire, flood, and natural disasters; bomb threats; social media trolls; cybersecurity incidents; protesters; bad actors; break-ins, and more. Throughout the session, we’ll explore ways to respond to these crises and ways to mitigate the risk of these events occurring at your store. Think of this session as insurance and take this time to invest in protecting your business.
Educators: David Mallman (Norton) Educators: John Rubin (Edelweiss), Jessilynn Norcross (McLean & Eakin)
Are you using Edelweiss to its fullest potential? Gain valuable insights into how publishers leverage Edelweiss to access crucial bookstore sales analytics, strategize author tours, and derive sales estimates tailored to your region and beyond. This session will feature publishers and booksellers highlighting many of the non-ordering tools available in Edelweiss. Additional topics include submitting reviews, section analytics, finding communities, coop, ARCs and more. Leave with actionable tips and best practices. This is a working session so please bring your laptop.
Talk Nerdy to Me: Mastering the Art of In-Conversation Author Events | Marquette A (5th floor) | Session Lead: Maxwell Gregory
Moderator: Mary Mollman (Madison Street Books)
Educators: Daniel Goldin (Boswell Book Company), Pamela Klinger-Horn (Literature Lover's Night Out (TM)), Keir Graff (Author), Sarah Hollenbeck (Women and Children First)
Calling all event coordinators! This immersive session is designed to empower you with expert insights and techniques for hosting captivating in-conversation author events. Unravel the art of creating meaningful and interesting dialogues that leave a lasting impact on your audiences. Learn the best practices for pairing facilitators with authors to guide thought-provoking conversations. From curating engaging questions to setting the stage for enriching interactions, this session promises to elevate your author events to new heights.
Abookadabra: The Magic of Handselling and Genre Roundtables | LaSalle B (5) | Session Lead: Shane Mullen
Educator: Anitra Budd (copywriter, editor, educator, and public speaker), Denise Williams (author)
Handselling Handouts >>
Handselling is the cornerstone of a successful bookstore. Delight in the company of seasoned bookselling experts as they divulge their handselling strategies, unleash invaluable tips for smarter buying, and reveal dynamic approaches for both active and passive selling. Join us for an engaging two-part session that promises fun and professional growth.
In the first part, you'll be treated to an enthralling handselling presentation that will leave you energized and eager to put your newfound knowledge into action. Then get ready to immerse yourself in genre-based roundtables, skillfully guided by expert booksellers and authors. Gain valuable insights and expert guidance on optimizing sales for genres with untapped potential in your bookstore or take your love of a specific genre to the next level. Hear about top sellers in each genre and embrace the art of creating magical reading experiences for your customers!
Roundtables: Horror, Poetry, Queer, Romance, Sci-Fi, YA
This Is a Fire Drill: Preparing for and Avoiding Crises | Marquette B (5th floor) | Session Lead: ABA Staff
Join ABA staff as we review some of the top crises stores have experienced this past year. From cybersecurity threats to a car driving into the store, we will provide resources and tips to prepare for and, when possible, avoid these crises at your store. Topics will include: fire, flood, and natural disasters; bomb threats; social media trolls; cybersecurity incidents; protesters; bad actors; break-ins, and more. Throughout the session, we’ll explore ways to respond to these crises and ways to mitigate the risk of these events occurring at your store. Think of this session as insurance and take this time to invest in protecting your business.