The 2021 Children's Institute, which was to be held in person in Tucson, Ariz., August 30-September 1, will be held virtually instead, on event platform Hopin over the same three days, Bookselling This Week reported. This is the second year in a row that Children's Institute has been held virtually.
The American Booksellers Association said that programming will include the usual events, including keynotes, author appearances, education sessions, rep picks presentations, social events, and more, "ABA's goal," it added, "is not to recreate the in-person experience of events but to cultivate a meeting that is rich, accessible, and educational and that reaches as many ABA booksellers as possible. It is our turn to come to you, curbside, where you are."
Like the poetry interludes during the virtual Winter Institute earlier this year, the Children's Insitute will offer story time interludes.
The ABA noted that booksellers who were selected as scholarship recipients for the 2020 event are encouraged to use their scholarship to join the 2021 event for free, because scholarships will not roll over for an additional year and the scholarship program will begin anew with the 2022 Children's Institute, for which recipients are encouraged to apply.
Registration for Ci9 opens June 15.