Education

ABA is inviting prospective booksellers to a free, full-day seminar, “How to Succeed at Retail Bookselling:  Introduction to the Bookstore Business,” on Sunday, June 3, in New York City. The program is open exclusively to ABA provisional members and employees of ABA regular member stores.

ABA will hold its 2012 Day of Education on Monday, June 4, during BEA at New York’s Javits Convention Center. The free program, sponsored by the Ingram Content Group, is targeted at ABA bookstore and provisional members but is open to all trade show attendees.

The Children’s Institute combines ABA’s in-depth education sessions and roundtable discussions, which are free and open to all ABA member booksellers, with a specially priced package of popular author events.

Registration for the first-ever American Booksellers Association ABC Children’s Institute is now open to booksellers at all ABA member bookstores. The daylong program of learning, networking, and festivities focusing on children’s books and bookselling will take place on Wednesday, June 6, at BEA.

Updated March 5, 2012:     The first-ever American Booksellers Association ABC Children’s Institute will be held on Wednesday, June 6, at New York’s Javits Convention Center during BookExpo America 2012.

Booksellers who participated in last month’s Winter Institute are being asked to provide honest feedback to help the American Booksellers Association continue to develop and improve the annual event.

Any bookseller currently in business will tell you that retail bookselling requires knowledge specific to the book industry as well as the necessary skills to run a successful small business. Two pitfalls that prospective booksellers should avoid is lack of training and inadequate funding.

Booksellers at Wi7 were divided into 22 working groups, each formulating plans for the future of a case study bookstore. The results of their work were synthesized by ABA staff and presented by Dan Sheehan, vice president of sales and general manager of the Ingram Content Group.

From the opening plenary to the closing working group activity, booksellers were energized by Winter Institute 7’s many opportunities to learn and network. Publishers, too, found inspiration, knowledge, and invaluable connections.

Representatives of Google will take part in next month’s Winter Institute at two sessions on Google Analytics and at the Ask ABA Table at the Consultation Station, all on Thursday, January 19.