Greetings,

Fall is officially upon us! We hope the summer was kind to you all.

This month, we’re pleased to mark the change of season with association updates, upcoming events, our fall book picks, and more.

We hope you enjoy.

2023-24 Annual Report & AGM Results
 

Last Wednesday we hosted our fourth AGM with Bookseller Members. Now, we are releasing our 2023-24 Annual Report for all industry professionals to read. You can access the report here.

The AGM included a number of important votes including the affirmation of our 2024-25 Board of Directors. Four founding directors were re-elected to the board for a two-year term along with three new directors: Cole Davidson from The Spaniel’s Tale in Ottawa, ON, Brandi Morpurgo from Daisy Chain Book Co. in Edmonton, AB, and Karlene Nicolajsen from Shelf Life Books in Calgary, AB. Welcome to Cole, Brandi, and Karlene!

We will also take this opportunity to thank our departing board members: Cathy Jesson, Jo Treggiari, and Jessica Walker. We are immensely grateful to these hardworking booksellers for all the time and expertise they’ve contributed to the association.

Thanks to all those members who joined us at this year’s AGM. Member engagement with the AGM is vital so we can make decisions and determine priorities for the organization. A recording is available to Bookseller Members in the Member Portal. Draft minutes, which will be approved at the 2025 AGM, are available upon request. Please contact Laura Carter with any questions.

#BookstoreTourist Contest Results

This year’s summer contest was a great success!

Over the course of the contest, readers across Canada posted photos of their bookstore visits and purchases in celebration of indies. We gave out 10 weekly giveaway prizes of audiobook bundles from Libro.fm to help build momentum.

And earlier this month, the CIBA team randomly selected one grand prize winner: Seana M. from Edmonton, AB., who posted about visiting to Spisherbocker Books, Yooneek Books, and Shelf Life Books during a trip to southern Alberta. Seana will receive a $500 prepaid credit card and a selection of travel books care of Lonely Planet and Raincoast Books.

Thanks to all the bookstores, publishers, not-for-profit organizations, and readers who have helped boost the signal.

Register Now: Upcoming Events

Ask Us ANYTHING!: Holiday Preparation and Marketing
Thursday, September 26
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Do you have a burning question you’d like to ask a pro-bookseller? Here’s your chance to ask us anything that will help you prepare for the holiday season! Join CIBA’s team of experienced bookseller mentors for a special event. From sideline planning to replenishment strategies, from staffing to social media marketing—simply log on and ask all your burning questions!

Maximizing Your Relationship with Your PRHC Sales Manager
Thursday, October 3
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Penguin Random House Canada continues to examine the best and most efficient ways to attend to booksellers’ varied needs, keeping in mind their limited time and resources. This session will help you understand PRHC’s thinking and plans, including how you can maximize your time with sales and customer service representatives.

Strategies and Support for French Book Sales with Prologue
Monday, October 7
10am PT, 11am MT, 12pm CT, 1pm ET, 2pm AT, 2:30pm Newfoundland

Interested in expanding your store's French book selection? Join us for a presentation by Prologue, the largest distributor of French children's books in Canada. This session will offer:

  • Overview of perennial favourites and bestsellers that consistently perform well with young readers
  • Top picks for next season
  • Information on account setup, sales support, and promotional terms with bilingual customer service support

This session has been organized as part of CIBA's work to help members gain greater access to the French publishing industry. You can find more information on CIBA's work in this area here.

Event Recording

Though social media is a critical business tool, it is also meant to be fun and organic. How do you develop a brand, stay on top of trends and important consumer dates, and share everything you need to share without getting overwhelmed or stuck in a rut?

In the recording of our session on "Social Media Management for Booksellers," Ariel Hudnall discussed calendars, time management, content generation, engagement, outsourcing, cross-posting, and more. This workshop is for booksellers who are ready to make their social media more effective—and joyful.

Not a CIBA member? Join now to access a range of benefits, including access to live events, recordings, and other business resources. 

Notable Public Dates for October-December

To help members plan their marketing activities, CIBA manages a living calendar that features key dates like public holidays, themed days/weeks/months, awards announcements, and more. This resource is accessible as a list-by-date and as a traditional calendar.

We also create a printable resource for the coming quarter. Members can access the October-December resource and the full calendar here.

We will continue to add to the calendar as information becomes available. If you have any questions or wish to add a key date that may be of interest to all members, please email Kayla Calder.

New Members on the Block

We are delighted to welcome the following bookstores who recently joined our community:

We’re also extending a warm welcome to our newest Provisional Members:

  • Dog Ears Bookstore (St. John’s, NL)
  • Porch Light Books (Edmonton, AB)
  • Ichabod's Book & Scares (Hamilton, ON)
  • Pop! The Bookshop (Bon Accord, AB)

Did you know you can search and contact your fellow CIBA members through the Member Directory?

Simply log in to the Member Portal and type in the name of the store, publisher, or partner you’re looking for. Using the advanced search, you can also search stores by category, specialty, and founding date (especially useful for finding our Provisional Members and newly opened bookstores!).

Meet Our Member: Beach Reads Bookshop

Beach Reads Bookshop, a new and pre-loved bookstore in downtown Port Dover, will celebrate two years in operation this November. Thoughtfully owned and operated by partners Anthony Randall and Robyn York, readers love exploring this store’s wide section of books. We spoke with Anthony and Robyn about the store and their future plans.

“Port Dover is a friendly town, and it’s lovely to have spontaneous conversations with people we know while bringing our A-frame sign out to Main Street and shopping in other businesses in town. To quote the author Kurt Vonnegut, ‘if this isn’t nice, what is?’”

Read the article here.

2024 Fall Reads

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: fall is for book lovers. 

We’ve put together a list of recent and upcoming titles that readers can seek out at their local indie bookstores this season. Explore our picks now on IndieBookstores.ca.

Stay tuned—we’ll share these lists on our social channels in the coming weeks!
 
 
 

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