On Demand Education Sessions

Independent bookstores are champions of innovation when it comes to business models. For the last few years, many bookstores have added bars to their business model by blending books with booze. This session will feature booksellers from both small and large stores who have experienced the successes and challenges of this business model.

Attachment	Size
Riffraff Menu pdf	348.75 KB
Story and Song Bookstore Bistro Menu pdf	148.08 KB
Books & Books Menu 1 pdf	1.08 MB
Books & Books Menu 2 pdf	224.58 KB
Books & Books Menu 3 pdf	186.66 KB
Mixing Bookstores and Bars Presentation (PDF)	2.05 MB

Pre-registration required; for owners and managers only. Register here As a bookstore owner or manager, having multiple responsibilities means your to-do list is never done. And as your business grows, your days only get longer. In order to keep your sanity, you need staff who can take on more responsibilities and grow with the business, providing leadership in your store and possessing the confidence to represent your store in the community. For this to happen, you need employees who can think strategically, take initiative, and feel empowered to solve problems. Alden Mills—Inc. 500 CEO, Navy SEAL, and author of Unstoppable Teams: The Four Essential Actions of High-Performance Leadership (HarperBusiness)—will teach important strategies you can apply immediately to develop leaders in your stores. You’ll walk away with Alden’s C.A.R.E.-based model that focuses on building relationships in four ways—with customers, co-workers, and community. This Advanced Education Session is designed for in-depth exploration among peers about management and operational concerns. Space is limited and registration is first-come, first-served. Each ABA member company is limited to two AES participants. ABA will attempt to accommodate all interested stores with at least one AES placement; assignments will be e-mailed prior to the start of Winter Institute. Presented twice on Thursday, 1/24: 9:20 to 10:20 am and 3:40 to 4:40 pm.

The goal of this session is to help bookstore owners and employees learn how to empower themselves to end uncomfortable situations, including harassment, with professionalism and respect. Among other things, the panel will discuss tips for identifying and navigating out of these distressing situations and suggestions for talking points booksellers can rely on while under duress. Booksellers will hear discussions on:

• Prioritizing personal safety
• Tips for changing the power dynamic
• Tips for extricating yourself from a situation in a professional way
• Learning how to ask for help when needed

Attachment	Size
Seminary Co-op Training Document pdf	112.62 KB

What if everyone read James Baldwin? He’s one of our most acclaimed 20th century thinkers, his writing exploring countless facets of American society and diving into subjects like sexuality, politics, marriage, police brutality, the Church, race, and love. He observed and critiqued humanity in a way that still resonates with so many of us in 2018 because his words and voice are timeless. Baldwin's groundbreaking work has inspired generations of fervent readers and fans, but what if we could widen that audience? Spread Baldwin's texts even further? Sell his work better, recommend him more frequently alongside other literary giants? We believe we can. Join the National Book Foundation for its new Author in Focus program featuring the work of James Baldwin, a four-time National Book Award nominee. The Foundation will be joined by two dynamic authors at Winter Institute as they help to answer the question of why James Baldwin's work has, does, and will always matter. This event was made possible by the Ford Foundation and Velvet Film.

Your landlord can be one of the most important influencers on the success of your business, but this critical relationship is often only considered when the rent is due or when it’s time to sign the lease. Bookstore owners who have experienced the positive results of cultivating the landlord relationship will share their experiences and explore effective strategies for landlord relations. Panelists will discuss:

• Best practices for improving landlord relationships
• Tips for turning your landlord into an advocate for your business as well as indie businesses in your community
• Tips for lease negotiations

Attachment	Size
Shelf Awareness Feature: Booksellers Navigate Rising Rents pdf	94.33 KB

When your business is hit by a disaster, you need to know you are prepared. Whether you are dealing with floods or fire or other disaster, your business survival will depend on having a solid emergency plan in place and a resilient and adaptable business model. Booksellers who have experienced disaster in their store and community will share best practices, and local and national FEMA and emergency preparedness experts will share tips that will help businesses survive and rebound.

Attachment	Size
Resources for Emergency Prep (PDF)	4.03 MB

Daniel H. Pink is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers Drive, To Sell is Human, and A Whole New Mind. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 35 languages. He lives with his family in Washington, DC.

Is your store website working for you? Who’s visiting, what are they interested in, and where are they coming from? Google Analytics is a free tool that can help answer all of these questions and more. It’s not as hard as you think, and the answers might surprise you! We’ll give you a quick tour of the highlights of Google Analytics and show you how to dig in and learn some interesting things about your website and its audience. This course is intended for beginners to Google Analytics and is not specific to any particular type of website or platform.

Attachment	Size
Google Analytics 101 (pdf)	130.91 KB

Are you looking for better checklists and forms to help you organize your store operations? Or do you already have procedures for self-published authors, special orders, or other store operations that you can’t live without? Here’s an opportunity to crowdsource solutions for you and your fellow booksellers. Come to this idea exchange with a number of copies of your “best loved” forms and exchange them with “best loved” forms from other stores.

Attachment	Size
Gramercy Books Consignment 1 (jpg)	472.62 KB
Gramercy Books Consignment 2 (jpg)	803.68 KB
Can't Find, Customer Request, IBID Corrections (jpg)	680.67 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Phone Order (pdf)	97.91 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Orientation and Training (pdf)	110.66 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Loss Control (pdf)	75.72 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Event Evaluation (pdf)	91.89 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Daily Manager Sheets (pdf)	320.68 KB
Bright Side Bookshop Bookseller Job Description (pdf)	118.65 KB
Avid Bookshop at Five Points Daily Checklist (pdf)	79.08 KB
Avid Bookshop Consignment Application (pdf)	85.04 KB
Avid Bookshop Monthly Tasks (pdf)	64.95 KB
Avid Bookshop Request to Book an Event (pdf)	14.5 KB
Avid In-shop Event Checklist (pdf)	96.24 KB
Wild Rumpus Employee Performance Evaluation (pdf)	81.38 KB

Pre-registration required; for owners and managers only. Morten Hansen, co-author of Great by Choice (Simon & Schuster) with Jim Collins, is a professor of management at the University of California, Berkeley. His forthcoming book, Great at Work, which draws on a longitudinal study of more than 5,000 managers and employees, has already been hailed by organizational psychologist Adam Grant as “the definitive guide to working smarter.” Professor Hansen will lead an interactive workshop on how bookstores and booksellers might find more success not by doing more—not by joining another social media platform, by trying to sell nonbook merchandise, or by trying to be the “everything store” that Amazon has become—but by identifying the work that their bookstore does best, and then effectively obsessing about it. Hansen will lead a discussion for owners and managers who want to maximize their time and increase their job performance and will share his “Seven Work Smarter Practices” and provide an opportunity for booksellers to identify ways to apply them to their daily business lives. Advanced Education registration is closed.

Attachment	Size
How to Create Value Worksheet (PDF)	74.84 KB

For owners and managers. Pre-reg required.
This ticketed session is open to ABA member store owners and managers only. One of the most important hires for any retail operation is a manager. Whether for the entire store, a section, or a key function, managers take pressure off owners, allowing them to focus on big-picture business decisions, secure in the knowledge that day-to-day operations will continue successfully. In this session, owners will learn strategies for communicating, delegating, training, and thriving through skillfully empowering managers. Facilitated by Lani Basa, owner and CEO of The Business Women’s Circle (BWC), a group providing a confidential and collaborative setting for businesswomen to foster growth and work on their businesses with the support of others.

• Lani Basa, Owner and CEO, Business Women's Circle (Minneapolis, MN)
   

Attachment	Size
Advanced Education Managing Managers pdf	835.77 KB

Congratulations, you are a manager! Now what? Being a manager is not easy, and, while your exceptional performance may have gotten you that promotion, your new position will require a whole new set of skills: delegating, motivating, negotiating, communicating, etc. A professional will offer tools and techniques to help first-time managers survive and thrive.

• Lani Basa, Owner and CEO, Business Women's Circle (Minneapolis, MN)
• Cindy Dach, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)
• Mary Magers, Magers & Quinn Booksellers (Minneapolis, MN) (Moderator)
   

Attachment	Size
Best Practices for First Time Managers pdf	506.21 KB

Managing large-scale off-site events takes a lot of planning. With concerns ranging from securing a location and ticketing to working with the publisher, formulating marketing strategies, and event team logistics, pulling together a large-scale event can quickly overwhelm even the most seasoned event planner. Come spend an hour with colleagues from bookstores that regularly produce large-scale off-site events for insights and tips on how to manage a successful event of your own.

• Robert McDonald, The Book Stall at Chestnut Court (Winnetka, IL)
• Lynn Pellerito Riehl, Nicola's Books (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo, Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY)
• Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT) (Moderator)

Attachment	Size
Managing Large Scale Events Book Stall at Chestnut Court pdf	674.38 KB
Large Scale Event Procedures Greenlight (PDF)	254.41 KB

Owners of (self-defined) very small stores are challenged to find the time and resources to organize successful events and to balance daily work with event budgeting, planning, execution, and follow-up. This panel will feature owners of very small stores who are excited to share tips and practices for hosting successful events.

• Daiva Chesonis, Between The Covers Bookstore (Telluride, CO)
• Jacqueline Kellachan, The Golden Notebook (Woodstock, NY)
• Anna Thorn, Upshur Street Books (Washington, DC)
• Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX) (Moderator)
   

Attachment	Size
Event Checklist Between The Covers Bookstore (PDF)	99.46 KB

If you are thinking about opening a café or other food and beverage component in your bookstore, this session is not to be missed.  Panelist will discuss tips and best practices for start-up, profitability, staffing, and overall management for combining book retail and a café business.

• Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books & Cafe (Wichita, KS)
• Nicole Magistro, Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, CO)
• Nicole Sullivan, BookBar (Denver, CO)
• Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore (Manchester Center, VT) (Moderator)
   

Attachment	Size
Booksellers on the Pros and Cons of Bookstore Cafés (PDF)	153.79 KB

This is a ticketed session. For owners and managers only. Limited capacity, first-come, first-served. Preference will be given to ABA owners and managers.
Dr. John Sherlock, Director, Master of Science Human Resources Program at Western Carolina University, will lead a discussion that will focus on best HR practices for small business owners, including talent management and how to create a skills inventory for you and your staff.

• Dr. John Sherlock, Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC)
• Meg Smith, ABA (White Plains, NY) (Greeter)
   

Attachment	Size
Advanced Topics in Human Resources Lists 2016 pdf	381.18 KB
Presentation Essentials in Human Resources 2016 pdf	1.34 MB
Essentials in Human Resources Lists 2016 pdf	167.38 KB
Presentation Advanced Topics in Human Resources 2016 pdf	1.07 MB

Edelweiss is a program that provides value to both booksellers purchasing titles for their stores and sales reps.  This session will explore the ways Edelweiss can both optimize and streamline the buying process and facilitate better communication among booksellers and reps.  Robert Sindelar, Managing Partner of Third Place Books, with stores in Lake Forest Park and Seattle, will moderate the session. 

Attachment	Size
Edelweiss+ Best Practices (pdf)	943.26 KB