BookED American Booksellers Association

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's American Booksellers for Free Expression celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read.
In this episode, ABA's Advocacy Associate Manager, Philomena Polefrone talks with Tanvi Rastogi, former librarian and current bookseller at Dog-Eared Books of Ames, Iowa. Learn more about how Tanvi is using middle grade fiction to build empathy and practice allyship with the Good Books Young Troublemakers book club on ABA's blog!
Follow the American Booksellers for Free Expression on Instagram at @ABFEFreeExpression to keep up with ABFE's advocacy efforts and tune into their Free Expression Friday series. Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
Theme by Constant Companion

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.
Part 1
HR Essentials for Small Business with Martin Patrick, GTM HR Consulting, Inc. Part 2
HR Talent Lifecycle with Randy Egolf, VP, Human Resources, Joseph-Beth Booksellers Health and Heart with Chonteau McElvin, Director of Conscious Culture, Spiral Circle  Part 3
Panel Discussion with Q&A, featuring:
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 Files & Links
Video Recording Slide Deck Handbook Policy Checklist ABA Bookstore Resource Library HR Talent Lifecycle Joseph-Beth Culture Committee Joseph Beth Leadership Competencies  
Recorded February 11, 2024 at Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati, OH
Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
 
Theme song by Constant Companion

The heart of a bookstore is the bookseller in the stacks, on the floor, behind the counter, or in the back room. These are the dedicated professionals who create the welcoming environment your community experiences every day. How do you keep this team? This session will cover important factors that impact employee retention today. You will be asked to consider your store culture, the openness of store-wide communication, your diversity and inclusion efforts, and conditions around compensation, among other important factors that drive employee satisfaction and retention. Come prepared to listen, engage, and leave with the beginnings of an action plan.
Speakers
Suzanna Hermans, Oblong Books - Millerton, NY Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First - Chicago, IL DJ Johnson, Baldwin & Co. - New Orleans, LA Lyn Roberts, Square Books - Oxford, MS Files & Links
Video Recording Slide Deck Recorded February 14, 2024 at Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati, OH
Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
 
Theme song by Constant Companion

Channeling ten years of feedback from booksellers, IndieCommerce 2.0 is an entirely new platform built from the ground up with new features and a fresh new design. Learn how you can harness the power of IndieCommerce 2.0 in this panel discussion with three booksellers who are using the new platform. Each panelist will showcase their site and share their first hand experiences with the new platform. They will discuss strategies for effectively matching their IndieCommerce 2.0 site to their in-store business model, highlight their favorite new features, and offer tips and tricks for maximizing the potential of IndieCommerce 2.0.
Speakers
Geetha Nathan, ABA - IndieCommerce - White Plains, NY Kazemde Ajamu, The Black Dot Cultural Center & Bookstore - Lithonia, GA Steve Iwanski, Charter Books - Newport, RI Sophie Nogar, Second Star to the Right - Denver, CO Files & Links
Slide Deck  
Recorded February 14, 2024 at Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati, OH
Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
 
Theme song by Constant Companion

Free Expression Friday is an interview series from ABA's American Booksellers for Free Expression celebrating the amazing work of booksellers, organizers, and book people in general fighting for the right to read.
In this episode, ABA's Advocacy Associate Manager, Philomena Polefrone talks with Moira Marquis, Senior Manager of the Freewrite Project at PEN America.
Follow the American Booksellers for Free Expression on Instagram at @ABFEFreeExpression to keep up with ABFE's advocacy efforts and tune into their Free Expression Friday series. Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
Theme by Constant Companion

ABA's Lightning Talk series features booksellers presenting 5-10 minute talks on tech tools, organizational strategies, communication methods, or innovations they’ve made in their stores. On April 11, 2024, Robin Stern (Books Inc.) discussed Creating a Sensory-Friendly Store Environment to improve Autistic inclusion in your store. 
Files & Links
Video Recording Slide Deck Better Community Business Certification Digital Brochure Better Community Best Practices Guide  
Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.
 
Theme by Constant Companion