Greetings,

Summer is officially here! The sunshine is doing wonders for us, how about you?

We have some great content in store for you this month, including the launch of our exciting new contest, info about upcoming events, a preview of our summer reading recommendations, and more.

Enjoy!

We are delighted to announce that CIBA is running a special social media contest this summer!

This contest will encourage readers to shop at indie bookstores, show off their purchases online, and promote the value of shopping local.

Here’s how it works:

• To enter, Canadian readers will visit their favourite indie bookstore and post a photo of their purchases on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using hashtag #IndieBookshopHaul
• Every unique post will count as one contest entry
• There is no limit to the number of times a reader can enter
• CIBA will share entries and remind readers to enter on a weekly basis
• The final day to enter will be Monday, September 5

To celebrate indie expertise, the winner will receive a prize pack of books and merchandise worth $250 curated by a Canadian independent bookseller. The CIBA team will randomly select a winner from the pool of entries. The winner will be asked to provide some information about themselves as well as their preferred bookstore, which CIBA will reimburse for books, merchandise, packaging, and shipping costs. If the winner’s preferred bookstore isn’t able to participate, CIBA will select another store.

We will officially launch the contest tomorrow on our socials. We have created a selection of plug-and-play assets that members can use for promotion including sample social posts, digital graphics, table talkers for in-store promotion, and more. Members can find these resources here.

Not a CIBA member? Join today!

Last month, CIBA Bookseller Members voted to buy into a discounted group membership with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Our primary motivation in pursuing this opportunity was to gain access to CFIB’s savings programs – particularly in the areas of shipping, credit card rates, and employee benefit programs.

We hope this initiative will contribute to a financially strong bookselling sector and complement our own work to find cost savings for members, to advocate for improved terms with publishers, and to encourage increased government investment in our industry.

Bookseller Members will soon receive information from the CFIB team about activating their CFIB membership. Applicable changes to CIBA Bookseller Member fees will come into effect in December 2022.

Not a CIBA member yet? Now is the time! You will have access to a range of resources and programs through CIBA and CFIB as part of the group membership. You will also save on your annual CFIB membership fees if you are already a CFIB member.

Contact Laura Carter today if you would like to discuss joining CIBA.

Ask Us ANYTHING! – CIBA Summer Mentor Series

Do you have a burning question you’d like to ask a pro-bookseller? Need help with your table displays? Want some reassurance about your ordering process? Can’t decide how to staff your store for the holidays? Need some guidance on stocking a specialty section? Here’s your chance to ask us anything!

Join CIBA’s team of experienced bookseller mentors for a special summer program. There will be no formal presentation at these events – simply log on and ask all your burning questions.

Next up in the series:

Shelley Macbeth, owner of Blue Heron Books (ON)
Tuesday, July 26

Susan Chamberlain, owner of The Book Keeper (ON)
Tuesday, August 16

Click on each event to read more about the mentor including their bio and their favourite aspects of the business.

All events will take place at 12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, and 4:30pm Newfoundland.

Using Consumer Insight Information to Do Better Business This Fall

Thursday, August 18

4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Join Mary Giuliano, Senior Director, Independent Sales at Penguin Random House Canada, for ways to prepare this summer ahead of another fall season sure to be filled with challenges and opportunities. Mary will share how Penguin Random House Canada is working behind the scenes to deliver relevant, timely, and consistent information on inventory stock ups and why they are investing in this space as a critical support piece for Canadian indies’ long-term success. 

This session is only open to CIBA Bookseller Members.

Presenter: Mary Giuliano, Senior Director, Independent Sales, Penguin Random House Canada

Ask the Bookseller: Planning for a Successful Holiday Season

Tuesday, August 23

4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Don’t blink: fall is just around the corner! Are you curious about how your holiday preparations compare to other indies around the country? How do stores determine how much stock to order? What workarounds are happening to offset supply chain issues? When should you ensure your website is holiday-ready?

In this session, learn how our bookseller panelists navigate the season to maximize business success.

Is there anything better than a summer afternoon spent reading? Not in our books!

We’ve put together a list of recent and upcoming titles that readers can seek out at their local indie bookstores this summer. We will share our list for adults today and our list for young readers next Tuesday.

Preview the books for adults here.

Click here to check out the list for young readers.

Shelf Life Books in Calgary, AB has been serving readers for more than 10 years. Its shelves are full of unexpected books, the staff is a tight-knit team, and the store provides a space where community members can come together. We spoke to store manager Karlene Nicolajsen about the store’s history, her favourite store memories, and more.

“Customers often tell us that our calibre of curation and variety of titles is unexpected, impressive, and rare, so we know we’re doing something right.”

Read the article here.

As a reminder, CIBA’s social channels are public facing. We run reader-oriented content that members and supporters can share on their own feeds.

Here's what we have planned for the next few months:

Campaigns

• #IndieBookshopHaul contest – we will post contest reminders and share entries on our social channels weekly until September 5!

Book Features

• Summer Reading for Adults – July 19
• Summer Reading for Young Readers – July 26
• Fall in Love with New Books (Adults) – September 20
• Fall in Love with New Books (Young Readers) – September 27 

Monthly Content

• Meet Our Members
• Love Notes to Indie Bookstores
• Window Shopping

We also share book news and member posts that we think our followers would enjoy. If you have a great window or in-store display, want to be profiled as part of the Meet Our Members series, or would like us to share a recent accomplishment, please get in touch!

ICYMI, the Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) recently released a list of eligible expenses under the new Canada Book Fund – Support for Booksellers (SFB) program component. Click here to view the list. 

Some bookstores have also received follow up questions from DCH regarding their application. The CIBA team is available to provide support! Members are invited to contact Laura Carter if they require assistance.

BOOKSELLERS:

Would you like CIBA to host a discussion on the topic of eligible expenses and using your expected SFB program funds?

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