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Conference

Oakland Spring Forum 2025

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM (PDT)
Agenda At A Glance
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Agenda

April 1
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Registration Opens
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM AUDITORIUM - Keynote Breakfast Featuring Charlie Jane Anders Join us for the kick off event featuring best-selling author Charlie Jane Anders, celebrating her new book Lessons in Magic and Disaster.
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM AUDITORIUM - Education: How to Make the Most of the CALIBA Holiday Catalog RAMP's Holiday Catalog is an amazing marketing resource that comes with your membership. Learn the ins and outs on how to use the catalogs to your advantage.
Panelists: Claire Bone (Wild Sisters, Sacramento), Hannah Walcher (CALIBA Executive Director).
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM BREAKOUT ROOM - Author Panel: Writing Messy Families A lively author panel about writing messy families featuring Kathy Wang, author of The Satisfaction Cafe; Carolyn Huynh, author of The Family Recipe; and Angela Flournoy, author of The Wilderness. Moderated by Melinda Powers (Bookshop Santa Cruz).
10:35 AM - 11:20 AM BREAKOUT ROOM - Education - Supporting Your Community with Mutual Aid (Panel) The “What, Why & How’s” of developing a mutual aid strategy to serve your community. Hear how to assess your store, your community & the situation - find the big project actions & the little project actions. Gather resources & share training tools to initiate action when faced with potential freeze or inaction because there's so much work to do.
Panelists: Emily Autenrieth (A Seat at the Table, Elk Grove), Nick Cuzzi (Green Apple Books by the Park, SF)
10:35 AM - 11:20 AM AUDITORIUM - The Book Business: Then and Now Two Industry Veterans Discuss the Book Business of the Past and How it Informs the Future. Conversation with Publisher Vicki DeArmon and Bookstore Owner Alison Reid (Camino Books). The session is both educational and a celebration of Vicki's new memoir Foghorn: The Nearly True Story of a Small. Publishing Empire
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM AUDITORIUM - Education - Collaborating with Other Local Stores Identify, Connect & Innovate with neighboring businesses and your bookseller community. Thinking beyond the competition and becoming synergistic within your region. Take home ideas, resources & tools to begin collaborating today!
Panelists: Kamuri Spears (Underground Books, Sacramento), Paula DeBoard (Bookish Modesto, Modesto), Bel McNeill (Rakestraw Books, Danville).
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM BREAKOUT ROOM - Roundtable - Mutual Aid for Booksellers Booksellers are threatened on multiple fronts from book bans to personal identity attacks which have far ranging impacts for our staff and businesses. Discuss and share existing resources and develop strategies to address unmet needs to create support and be ready for whatever the coming storm brings.
Roundtable led by Ivy Quirk (Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz) and Jessica Hahl (Books Inc, San Leandro).
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM AUDITORIUM - Rep Picks Lunch Enjoy lunch & learn about the season's upcoming titles!
Presenting Reps:
-Suzi Hough, HarperCollins
-Leslie Jobson, PGW
-Chithra Vedantam, PGW
-Bob Belmont, PRH
-Shannon Grant, S&S
-Andy Weiner, Abrams
-Vicki DeArmon, Sibylline Press
-David Goldberg, Steerforth/Pushkin Press
-Brittany Greenway, Macmillan
-Emma Mundorff, Stanford University Press
-Kevin Peters, Imprint Group West
-Nick Pauley, HBG
2:10 PM - 3:00 PM AUDITORIUM - Author "Speed Dating" Moderator: Amy Davis (Banter Bookshop, Fremont).
Featuring authors:
-Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
-K. L. Walther
-Elaine Castillo
-Varian Johnson
-Arree Chung 
-Bridget Crocker 
-Markus Redmond 
-Isaac Fellman 
3:10 PM - 4:00 PM AUDITORIUM - Roundtable - Owner Networking Breakout Session Network with other owners in a roundtable style discussion on the issues we are currently facing from payroll and staffing to leases and cost of goods. Find solidarity and engage in some group problem solving to see how we can work it out together, as a community.
Led by Flo Grosskurth (Linden Tree Books, Los Altos).
3:10 PM - 4:00 PM BREAKOUT ROOM - Kids Rep Picks Bingo Join the CALIBA staff and presenting Reps for a fun game of Bingo!
Participating Reps:
- Kevin Peters, Candlewick
-Jordan Standridge, Sourcebooks
- Kristin Rasmussen, Scholastic Press
- Marissa Moss, Creston Books
- Jill Eisenberg, Lee & Low
- Dandy Conway, PRH
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM AUDITORIUM.- Author Reception Moderator: Leigh Odum (Leigh's Favorite Books, Sunnyvale).
Meet the authors:
-Hope Lim 
-Diane Schaffer 
-John Bersani 
-Rachel Gillig 
-Scott Alan Lucas 
-Amber Ren (illustrator) 
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Mix & Mingle Enjoy small bites while chatting with fellow booksellers and the authors from the Reception. 
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Happy Hour with The Collective Book Studio & Author John Bersani Location: Port Labs
2044 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612 

Limited space available: please limit attendance to 2 people per bookstore.
RSVP here!

CALIBA is returning to the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for a day of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking.

Online registration closes Friday, March 21st. Registration at the door is welcome.

AFTER PARTIES

You're invited to these book industry parties after Spring Forum.

Questions? Please email publicity@thecollectivebook.studio. 

Limited space available:

please limit attendance to 2 people per bookstore
RSVP HERE
 
Foghorn book launch party
Click on the Reps' Names Below to Access Their Lists 

Rep Picks Lunch:

Rep Picks Bingo:

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center

HISTORY

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) was founded in 1984 by a coalition of volunteers who recognized the need for a strong artistic and cultural force in the Chinatown area.  Since opening its own facility in 1996 in the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown district, the OACC has presented countless high-quality cultural programs including performances, workshops, festivals, school tours, classes, and exhibitions.

MISSION

OACC builds vibrant communities through Asian and Pacific Islander arts and cultural programs that foster inter-generational and cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, collaboration, and social justice.

VISION

OACC envisions vibrant, healthy, and just communities where diverse Asian and Pacific Islander identities and heritage are affirmed and celebrated through cross-cultural exchange, intergenerational dialogue, and educational programming.

For our group rate, book a room at the Courtyard Oakland Marriott via this link by March 10th.

Address: 988 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607

This hotel is walking distance from the Oakland Asian Cultural Center

If you're coming from outside of the Bay Area, we recommend flying into the Oakland Airport or taking the Amtrak Train to Oakland/Jack London Square station.

If you're in the Bay Area, you can take Bart and exit at either the 12th St. Station or Lake Merritt Station.  

If you are interested in carpooling, fill out this Carpool form. Already filled out the form and want to find a carpool buddy? Click here to access the carpool buddy list.

There is a parking garage underneath the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for $4 an hour.  Other alternative parking locations include:

Street Parking: $3 hour. 

Garage 1000 Broadway (Entrance is on 11th, between Broadway and Franklin)
Public parking is $8/hour, $24max - 4 stories of parking 
(weekday only) - hours: 7am til 9pm 
Call to reserve/ pre-ay: 510-444-7412 

If you're coming from outside of the Bay Area, we recommend flying into the Oakland Airport or taking the Amtrak Train to Oakland/Jack London Square station.

Since you're coming all this way, you might as well explore our host city! 

Local Bookstores:

Local Restaurants:

Local Attractions:

For More Information:

Hannah Walcher
Hannah Walcher
Executive Director (415)561-7686x101
View Profile

Thank you, sponsors!

Sponsorships help us keep the event affordable for booksellers and help fund bookseller grants to attend.