On Demand Education Sessions

Independent bookstores have seen massive online sales growth since March 2020. How are stores managing order fulfillment, customer support, shipping, returns, and all the other complexities of running a busy ecommerce website — while running a bookstore?

This session will explore how bookstores are successfully fulfilling their online sales. The panel will consist of booksellers from small and large stores who are managing high-volume online sales on a variety of ecommerce-enabled platforms. Topics will include what they learned over the past year as well as shortcuts and tips that are making their lives easier. The panel will be moderated by Senior Manager of IndieCommerce Geetha Nathan. There will also be time allotted for Q&A. If you are struggling with managing your store's online orders or looking for tips to make things easier, this session is definitely for you.
Panelists: Geetha Nathan, ABA (White Plains, NY); Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First (Chicago, IL); Luis Correa, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA); Lexi Beach, Astoria Bookshop (Astoria, NY); Warren Lee, 44th and 3rd Bookseller (Norcross, GA); Cheryl Lee, 44th and 3rd Bookseller (Norcross, GA)

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session will feature an overview of Constant Contact led by Matthew Montoya, Channel Marketing and Enablement Manager. Topics discussed will include how to create a template, contacts, manage reporting, and ways to grow your contact list.

Book fairs can be a profitable undertaking for a bookstore, but for those who have yet to launch a fair or who are new to them, the task can be overwhelming. As a continuation of the ABC Group’s virtual education session “Building School Partnerships: Your Librarian, Your Friend,” this session will feature booksellers with established relationships with their local school districts who will share how to build a realistic timeline for a book fair, manage bookstore and school expectations based on a school’s needs, and create a checklist to ensure the fair goes off without a hitch, whether it’s in-person or online.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session will provide new and prospective bookstore owners with an opportunity to ask questions of seasoned bookstore owners/staff. 

The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session will include a live demonstration from Shaina Mahler and Justin Gold of Above the Treeline. There will be case studies and best practices from booksellers as well as plenty of time for questions. The session will feature these bookseller panelists: Jenny Cohen of Waucoma Bookstore in Hood River, Oregon Jamie Rogers Southern of Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Tom Batterson of New Story Community Books in Marshall, Michigan Lauren Messamore of Watermark Books & Café in Wichita, Kansas

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

Book fairs can be a profitable undertaking for a bookstore, but for those who have yet to launch a fair or who are new to them, the task can be overwhelming. As a continuation of the ABC Group’s virtual education session “Building School Partnerships: Your Librarian, Your Friend,” this session will feature booksellers with established relationships with their local school districts who will share how to build a realistic timeline for a book fair, manage bookstore and school expectations based on a school’s needs, and create a checklist to ensure the fair goes off without a hitch, whether it’s in-person or online.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This Technology Meetup will not have any specific guest speakers. Instead, booksellers are invited to partake in an open conversation about the results of the feedback survey, the technologies that improve their business operations on a daily basis, and what they might look into during 2021.

A strong relationship with a school librarian can amplify events and boost institutional sales for your children’s bookstore or kids’ department. Booksellers from stores with strong ties to their school district’s librarians will discuss how to reach out to librarians, what collaboration looks like, the best way to cultivate the partnership, and how a strong relationship with librarians can benefit a bookstore.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

Our New Member Coffee Break includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.

The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This Marketing Meetup will not have any specific guest speakers. Instead, booksellers are invited to partake in an open conversation about the results of the feedback survey, the marketing initiatives they are starting the year with, and what they might be thinking of for 2021 in general.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This Technology Meetup does not have any specific guest speakers. Instead, booksellers held an open conversation about what technologies improved their business operations or made work life easier this year, what technology they might be looking into for next year, Technology Meetup topics that stores benefited from over the past year, and what booksellers might like to see covered during meetups in 2021.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session will not have any specific guest speakers. Instead, booksellers are invited to partake in an open conversation about what marketing ideas worked and didn't work this year, marketing plans for the upcoming year, marketing meetup topics that stores benefited from over the past year, and what booksellers might like to see covered during meetups in 2021.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

With the growing number of virtual events across an expanding number of platforms, this session aims to offer booksellers tips, tricks, and guidance on how to create safe yet profitable events in the new digital world.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

In this session, ABA CEO Allison Hill and COO Joy Dallanegra-Sanger discuss ABA's Fall Marketing Campaigns including the “October Is the New December” materials as well as the #BoxedOut campaign coordinated with DCX advertising.

This session will feature booksellers discussing what shipping platforms and software they are using, what their process is, and useful tips.

Guest speakers are: Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, New York Alison Gwinn of Changing Hands in Tempe and Phoenix, Arizona Kathy Burnette of Brain Lair Books in South Bend, Indiana, Vincent Onorati of WORD Bookstores in Brooklyn, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey

This session included former ABA President Robert Sindelar speaking briefly about his experience on the board and encouraging booksellers to nominate themselves or a colleague for the Board of Directors.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

Our New Member Coffee Break includes a tutorial on navigating Bookweb.org to ensure a better understanding of where to find the information most vital for members. The presentation looks at education resources, networking and community, business affinity partnerships, indie marketing, advocacy, and much more. The second half of the session will offer booksellers an open forum during which they can ask questions and talk with ABA staff.

The opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “data is king” many times, and it isn’t going anywhere. Knowing how to collect and use your customer and sales data is key to successful marketing and better customer engagement. Jordan Brannon and Cassandra Cross of Coalition Technologies, a Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency, will introduce some key elements of maximizing the value of the data your business captures, and ABA’s Ryan Quinn will present the top 10 tips and notes from indie bookstores.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

This session follows the format of an Open Forum: the opinions expressed are those of the individual participants, not of the ABA. Information discussed is reflective of the time of the recording. Please see the most recent coffee break and/or the daily email update for the most current information.

With the onset of COVID-19, many bookstores made an overnight switch from welcoming customers for in-store browsing to operating as fulfillment centers for online orders, curbside pickup, and local deliveries. This change has been one of many that stores have been faced with during this crisis. With online sales predicted to increase across all retail sectors this holiday season, now is the time to review and streamline operational workflow for these new processes made necessary by COVID-19. Join us for a conversation that will help you think about streamlining your current processes — online fulfillment, curbside pickup, local delivery, etc. — to improve efficiency and accuracy.