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• “Can you help me find a good book?”: Readers Advisory in the Bookstore

  • When
    14-Jan-2026
  •  
    3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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  Booksellers help readers discover new titles every day. We know firsthand that matching the right book with the right reader is a complex skill that takes time and experience to develop, and that booksellers play an instrumental role in getting books in peoples’ hands. The field of study and practice in library sciences called Readers’ Advisory aims to train librarians on how to most effectively suggest books to readers. MLIS candidate (and staffer at Iron Dog Books) Mizuki Giffin will present basic best practices and tools for how Readers’ Advisory might be integrated in a bookstore setting, addressing topics like:

  • Using appeal factors to sell customers on the “feel” of a book over its content

  • Integrating readers’ advisory in training to help new booksellers become more confident offering suggestions

  • How to talk about books in genres you don’t personally read or enjoy

  • Measuring the success of a readers’ advisory interaction 

  • Tailoring the readers’ advisory interview to build relationships and loyalty with customers

  Presenter bio: Mizuki Giffin (she/her) is an MLIS candidate and student librarian at the University of British Columbia. She is also an independent bookseller, currently working as event coordinator at Iron Dog Books in East Vancouver. Whether in libraries and bookstores, she is passionate about connecting readers with books, and creating spaces where communities of readers can come together.  

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• Publisher Picks: Spring Picks from Multinational Publishers

  • When
    15-Jan-2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

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  CIBA's Publisher Picks series is back with its Spring 2026 edition! We will bring you to the heart of publisher marketing discussions to discover the season's best bets – the books you might not (yet) know you need to stock, but will definitely be glad you have on hand. 

  Who should attend? Bookstore owners, managers and staff to find out upcoming publisher highlights and how to sell them.

  Presenters:

  • Canadian Manda Group
  • HarperCollins Canada
  • Penguin Random House Canada
  • Raincoast Books
  • Scholastic Canada
  • Simon & Schuster Canada

  The event time is listed as ET. 

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• Publisher Picks: Spring Picks for Adult Readers from Canadian Independent Publishers

  • When
    20-Jan-2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

  Register

  CIBA's Publisher Picks will bring you to the heart of publisher marketing discussions to discover the spring season's best bets for adult readers from Canadian Independent Publishers.

  The goal of these sessions is to give booksellers an insider look at titles they need to be aware of, and help them understand why these books are going to have buzz this season. 
  

  Publishers will each be presenting one book - a highlight from the season!

  Who should attend? Bookstore owners, managers, and staff to find out upcoming publisher highlights and how to sell them.

  Note: List of presenters will be announced soon! 

  The event time is listed as ET. 

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• Publisher Picks: Spring Picks for Children and Young Adults from Canadian Independent Publishers

  • When
    12-Feb-2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

  Register

  CIBA's Publisher Picks will bring you to the heart of publisher marketing discussions to discover the spring season's best bets for children and young adults from Canadian Independent Publishers.

  The goal of these sessions is to give booksellers an insider look at titles they need to be aware of, and help them understand why these books are going to have buzz this season. 
  

  Publishers will each be presenting one book - a highlight from the season!

  Who should attend? Bookstore owners, managers, and staff to find out upcoming publisher highlights and how to sell them.

  Note: List of presenters will be announced soon! 

  The event time is listed as ET. 

  Show details