The first full day at Heartland Fall Forum was packed with education sessions, the association annual meetings, and rep picks luncheons. In the afternoon, the trade show floor opened, with plenty of authors signing. For those who had the stamina, the events continued into the evening with a happy hour with author Melissa Albert, and finished up with a literary trivia quiz bowl.
GLIBA executive director Larry Law with MIBA executive director Grace Hagen.
ABA education specialist Emily Nason highlighted key business performance metrics (KPIs) during an education session on "Measure What Matters: 5 Key #s to Focus on During Turbulent Times." Using examples drawn from ABA's ABACUS financial surveys, Nason identified, defined, and offered methods to calculate key performance indicators. These KPIs include gross margin, inventory turn, sales per square foot, average dollars per transaction, and sales per labor hour. Nason encouraged attendees to share as much store financial performance information as possible with staff (going "open book"), explaining, "When there is a joint goal, staff agency and participation increases." Pictured: Emily Nason (l.) with Deb Covey of Blue Dog Books in Springboro, Ohio.
The goals of the recently launched National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2), are "audacious and ambitious," said association member Ashley Valentine, founder and owner of Rooted MKE bookstore (Milwaukee, Wis.), during her presentation. "NAB2," she continued, "will be the most influential and transformative force for black bookstores, black literature and black authors in the country... we know that if we want to see significant strides for black bookstores then the goals do have to be larger goals that we're not afraid to tackle or not afraid to address." Valentine reported on recent initiatives, including a partnership with California's University of Sacramento that will yield $100,000 over five years to support black bookstores, and a "major book buy" with Harper Christian to benefit 500 black-owned bookstores through the purchase of 25,000 copies of Robert Smith's Lead Boldly that will be distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country by the Figgers Foundation. Pictured: Verlean Singletary (l.) and Courtney Woods of Chicago's Da Book Joint with Ashley Valentine (r.)
At the session on "Mutual Aid: We Take Care of Us," booksellers Shane Mullen (Left Bank Books, Saint Louis, Mo.), Kristen Sandstrom (Apostle Island Booksellers, Bayfield, Wis.) Ratina Burkhead (Tomorrow Bookstore, Indianapolis, Ind.), and Barbara Cerda (La Revo Books, SE Wisconsin) joined with Other Press marketing director Terrie Akers to describe various efforts to support their local communities during times of crisis. The panelists and attending booksellers discussed mutual aid efforts such as book donation and distribution during the pandemic period; disaster relief in the greater Saint Louis area following last May's devastating tornado; and current action in Chicago to support and protect neighborhood residents from ICE raids. From left: Ratina Burkhead, Shane Mullen, Terrie Akers, Barbara Cerda, Kristen Sandstrom.
On the trade show floor: Caitlin O'Neil (l.) from Tropes & Trifles, Minneapolis, Minn., with Kaci Friss of Serendipity Books, Chelsea, Mich.
Laura Hohman (l.), University of Nebraska Press, Caroline Kobitz (c.), Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Mo., and Nathan Roach, Wild Geese Bookshop, Franklin, Ind.
From left: Jessica Betz, Jami Alfolder, and Alexis Blevins, proudly repping Next Page Bookstore, Decatur, Ind.