In 2026, membership at the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance grew by almost a third, to 353 bookstore members; the association is "financially stable"; the board, which will have several new members as of the first of the year, is moving forward on finding a new executive director to succeed Linda-Marie Barrett; and the new website and new programming has been successfully implemented. These and other topics came up at SIBA's annual meeting, held virtually yesterday.
Board members and others praised Barrett, who announced earlier this month that she will leave her post at the end of the year. In her remarks, she noted that she had been with SIBA for about 10 years and has been executive director of the association for seven, starting an "amazing journey" in March 2020, which was "great timing," because the pandemic had just started in the U.S. Not surprisingly, she began by focusing on SIBA's response to Covid's impact on members, the annual conference, and the association's finances.
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| Linda-Marie Barrett at yesterday's meeting | |
Other areas of focus during Barrett's tenure have included addressing AI as well as "a continuing wave of book banning and other forms of censorship," which are more prevalent in SIBA territory than anywhere else.
Barrett noted that the staff has grown to offer "more targeted membership, social media, and sales support." New programming has included the March Madness series, where booksellers meet across SIBA territory. Two virtual education programs are Jump Start for new members, hosted and developed by membership coordinator Candice Huber, as well as the Lunch & Learn series, where industry partners share tips with booksellers on "best ways to work together, take advantage of benefits, and sell more books."
While catalog revenues will probably decrease by 10% compared to last year, SIBA is receiving extra revenue from "publisher programming and sponsorships." Net revenue from the New Voices New Rooms conference was $40,000, split with partner New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. SIBA is keeping expenses in line with income and should end the year in positive territory financially.
Barrett said she feels that SIBA is "in a great position for the future" and she hopes to remain connected with the community and "the beautiful trade of bookselling, which to me is a holy calling."
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| Julia Davis | |
SIBA president Julia Davis of the Book Worm, Powder Springs, Ga., noted changes on the board. In the recent election, Bunnie Hilliard of Brave + Kind Bookshop, Decatur, Ga., was elected to a second term, and three members were elected for the first time: Elese Stutts of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Cat Bock of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn.; and Courtney Ulrich Smith of Underbrush Books in Rogers, Ark. Their terms begin January 1.
Outgoing board members are Melissa Taylor from E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Ga.; Krystle Dandridge from The Book Bar RVA in Richmond, Va.; and Davis herself, who will become president emeritus.
SIBA is analyzing feedback from booksellers, exhibitors, and others about the New Voices New Rooms conference, which it puts on in partnership with NAIBA. Barrett said that two items of concern involve timing (August is too early for some), and the fact that when the conference is held in one association's territory, attendance by members of the other association declines somewhat. An announcement about next year's conference will be made "in the coming weeks," Barrett said.
SIBA secretary Rayna Nielsen of Blue Cypress Books, New Orleans, La., updated members on the search for a new executive director. The board has met with a business consultant but hasn't decided yet whether to use a headhunter or manage the process in-house. The association will post a job listing in the coming week and hopes to have a new executive director in place by mid-December, with enough time for Barrett to help onboard that person.
Davis noted that SIBA is transitioning away from using the Carver rules of governance, which sometimes can be overly restrictive. Other regional associations have stopped using Carver, too, and Davis emphasized that members should see no difference in how the association operates. The changeover requires a vote by membership, and Davis urged all members to vote.