04.23.26 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

Bookseller Newsletter,

Share your IBD success stories with CALIBA, Shelf Awareness and Publishers Weekly

CALIBA Bookseller Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

CALIBA ANNOUNCEMENT

COMPETE Act

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

*AUTHOR & EDUCATION SESSIONS* 2026 Pasadena Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum

*EVALUATION & TRAVEL ASSISTANCE FORMS* 2026 Oakland Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum

*SAVE THE DATE* 2026 Fall Fest Bookstore Tour

*CALL FOR MODERATORS AND PANELISTS* CALIBA Events

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING ASSETS

*2 DAYS UNTIL* Indie Bookstore Day

Substitute Bookseller Program

Mentorship Program

CALIBA Committees

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

INDUSTRY EVENTS & SMALL BIZ CORNER

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts & In the News

Fundraisers

Scholarships & Grants

Classifieds

CALIBA's Currently Reading

RESOURCES

CALIBA BOOKSTORE MAP

OFFICE HOURS WITH HANNAH

CALIBA STAFF

BESTSELLERS LISTS

The Los Angeles Times & Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

The San Francisco Chronicle & Northern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

African American Bestsellers List
Independent Press Bestsellers Top 40

TOP 5 BESTSELLERS

Submit your top 5 best sellers in our new "Flying off the Shelves at..." feature in our weekly newsletter! Submit your best sellers list here. Note: must be a CALIBA Member

CALIBA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATTENTION Banner

CALIBA is supporting the COMPETE Act, a coalition-backed antitrust reform bill in the California legislature that just passed its first policy committee. AELP, ILSR, TechEquity, UFCW, and Consumer Fed are also co-sponsors. As you may be aware, this bill is the result of a three-year study by the California Law Revision Commission and reflects a compromise proposal that is nevertheless critical for protecting competition and tackling monopoly power in the state for small business owners.

Would you be interested in supporting this effort by signing on? The sign-on is here.

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK TRADEMARK "LETTER OF PROTEST"

Thank you to everyone who sent Hannah your pictures, newsletters, and, features as proof of use for the phrase "Blind Date with a Book". We are working our way through the trademark "letter of protest" submission process and will keep you posted.

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

PASADENA OWNERS' RETREAT & SPRING FORUM: AUTHOR & EDUCATION SESSIONS

CALIBA is meeting at the Pasadena Hilton for a day of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking at the Owners' Retreat (11 spots remaining), on Wednesday, May 27th, and the Spring Forum, on Thursday, May28th.

Owners' Retreat: No Door Registration. | Spring Forum: Bookstore Member registration welcome at the door.

Hotel room special pricing ending on April 27th.

Oakland Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum - 03.31.26-4.1.26 - Thank you for attending!

OAKLAND OWNERS' RETREAT & SPRING FORUM: EVALUATION & TRAVEL ASSISTANCE FORMS

Thank you for attending the Oakland Spring Forum and our first ever Owners' Retreat!

Your feedback is valuable to our team, allowing us to improve future CALIBA events. If you attended the Owners' Retreat or Spring Forum, please fill out the forms below:

Owners' Retreat Evaluation Form, Spring Forum Evaluation Form, and Spring Forum Travel Assistance.

*SAVE THE DATE* FALL FEST BOOKSTORE TOUR

We will have a bookstore tour on Sunday, September 13th. Bookstore Tour Ticket Registration will open with Fall Fest Bookseller Registration.

Call for Moderators & Panelists

CALL FOR MODERATORS AND EDUCATION PANELISTS

CALIBA is always looking for bookseller moderators and panelists for our shows. We'd love to add more voices and experiences each year! Help us discover you! 

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING ASSETS

*2 DAYS UNTIL* INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY

-IndieBound Indie Bookstore Day Map.

-Indie Bookstore Day Planning Guide for your to-do list.

-Submit your plans to ABA

-ABA Marketing assets and exclusives product images

-CALIBA Marketing assets

-Shelf Awareness Call for Information: Independent Bookstore Day

-Bookshop.org Social assets

Click here for more details

CALIBA SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ASSETS

Indie Bookstore Day (4/25) - assets available

Teachers' Day (5/5) - assets available Friday, April 24th

*SAVE THE DATE* Juneteenth (6/19) - assets available May 22nd

BANNED BOOKS WEEK (10/4-10/10)

*SAVE THE DATE* Banned Books Week - October 4-10, 2026

CERTIFIED INDIE BOOKSTORE COMPAIGN

View the public-facing page and download the assets: includes the Certified Independent Bookstore logo, Infographic (below), and more!

MEMBER CORNER

Welcome to CALIBA, LibroMobile!

Owner: Sarah Rafael Garcia

Location: Santa Ana

Established: June 2016

About Our New Member: Established in 2016 in Santa Ana by local author Sarah Rafael Garcia, LibroMobile is a community-based collaboration between a bookstore and a cultural center. It builds on the anti-gentrification movement's culture and cultivates diversity through literature and the arts by prioritizing Black, Indigenous, and people of color, local authors, and by integrating free reading and writing programs, visual exhibits, and year-round creative workshops in Santa Ana, California, and its surrounding areas.

Want to be featured in the Member Corner? Submit your details here.
Note: must be a CALIBA Member

Substitute Bookseller Program

CALL FOR BOOKSELLERS

CALL FOR MENTORS

In need of more mentors for BIPOC, niche & small stores

CALIBA Committees

JOIN A CALIBA COMMITTEE

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

5% DISCOUNT FOR CALIBA MEMBERS - Independent Study: CALIBAind | Live Courses: CALIBAlive

Professional Booksellers School logo

2026 PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL SCHEDULE IS UP 

Click here for more info.

LIVE COURSES:

Bookstore Year One Begins! - Register Now

Enrollment is Always Open! Stores are welcome to join the day they open, and will cycle through all the topics over the period of a year.

INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES:

- School-Facing Events - Register Now

- Inventory Management - Register Now

- Basic Bookselling Store Subscription - Register Now

AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION

American Booksellers Association logo

Wi2026 Session Recordings

National Book Ban Bill - Download Assets

HOW TO PREPARE FOR ICE RAIDS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Here are the top 6 things to do to prepare for ICE raids at your store or in your community.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

SHOW OFF YOUR CALIBA SPIRIT
Click here to download the Proud Member of CALIBA file
(Login required).

Proud Member of CALIBA digital sign

Booksellers

Provisional Bookstore: $100 (online only and prospective bookstores)

Bookstore: $200

Membership Perks:

  • Free admission to our annual Fall Fest for you and your staff
  • Free or reduced rates at education and member programs for you and your staff
  • Subscription to our weekly e-newsletter for you and your staff
  • Stay up-to-date with industry, Alliance and bookstore news
  • Bestseller list
  • Classified ads
  • Online access to the Rep Directory updated regularly
  • Inclusion on our Find A Store webpage
  • Fall Catalog Marketing Campaign produced for you and promoted to drive business to your store
  • Independent Bookstore Day in conjunction with your ABA membership
  • Access to exclusive IBD merchandise
  • A list of current Publisher Promotions
  • Bookseller Resources
  • Tools for the Trade
  • Credit card processing with Gravity Payments

Click here for more details.

INDUSTRY EVENTS & SMALL BIZ CORNER

Is there another association you suggest CALIBA follow for small business education? Share with us.

CALCHAMBER'S EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK CREATOR ONLINE TOOL - Buy Now

THE GHOSTBUYERS' GUIDE TO BECOMING A GREAT BOOKSTORE BUYER

With the enormous influx of new stores, Ghostbuyers wants to provide a resource to help navigate the wilderness of publisher catalogs, buying processes, engaged inventory management, and more.

In this course, you’ll find tips and best practices, practical advice and wisdom gained from 20+ years of buying, teaching, and solving problems for many facets of the book industry. Figuring out how to buy books for your store can be daunting. The aim of this course is to both demystify the process and to give concrete lessons on how to buy for your store. Register Now.

Coupon code CALIBADISCOUNT, they'll receive $50 off the price of the course.

OMNIBUS WEBINAR VIDEO AVAILABLE

Running a bookstore means juggling a lot of systems that weren't built for books. Omnibus changes that — one platform connecting inventory, ordering, and Edelweiss catalog and analytics with your POS. Square is first, with more platforms on the way. Click here for more information and view the Webinar.

We've partnered with Agate Publishing Academy to offer exclusive discounts—plus a referral bonus—on its flagship Publishing Basics course: a hybrid online certification program created by publishing professionals that provides a comprehensive introduction to how the industry works.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

April: Arab American Heritage Month / National Poetry Month / International Customer Loyalty Month / National Stress Awareness Month

April 20-24: Independent Bookstore Spirit Week

April 25: Independent Bookstore Day

May: National Small Business Month / Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month / Jewish American Heritage Month / Short Story Month

May 3-9: National Small Business Week

May 5-11: Children's Book Week

May 15: CALIBA Board of Director ballots will be sent to bookstore principal members

May 27-28: SoCal Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum

Bookseller Shoutouts Header

Don't forget to follow and tag us (@caliba_20) to be featured! CALIBA's Media Outlet Resource Doc has info about being featured by Shelf Awareness, USA Today, and Bay City News.

LA Times Festival of Books

1 - Vroman’s Bookstore, Pages: A Bookstore, and Bel Canto Books.

2 - Diesel Bookstore, Book Soup, and Casita Bookstore.

Indie Bookstore Day

3 - Beers Books, in Sacramento, highlighted Indie Bookstore Day and the Sacramento Bookstore Crawl.

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4 - Banter Bookshop, in Fremont, held their annual Educator Night.

5 - Word After Word Books, in Truckee, highlighted National Parks Week.

6 - Ruby’s Books, in Folsom, curated a display for National Arab American Heritage Month.

7 - Earth Day Displays: Camino Books, Alibi Bookshop and Napa Bookmine.

8 - Bookshop Santa Cruz, brought a touch of whimsy to their skylight room with a Wes Anderson display.

In the News

Want to share your personal story or concerns as a small business owner more broadly? Share your OpEd, Think Piece, or Slice of Life story with your local media outlets. CALIBA is building a shared Media List here. Find or add contacts.

FUNDRAISERS

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

CLASSIFIEDS

Have a classified listing for booksellers? Email Alecia to be listed on our site.

CALIBA'S CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff

Ring Shout

P. Djèlí Clark

9781250393814

Hannah

Executive Director

Wild Seed

Octavia E. Butler

9781538751480

Valentina

Operations Manager

Play Nice

Rachel Harrison

9780593642573

Check out CALIBA’s 2026 Reading List!

RESOURCES

CALIBA RESOURCES

CALIBA new logo

Complete resource list.

American Bookseller Association logo

ABA LINKS

BOOK INDUSTRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LINKS

Binc Book Industry Charitable Foundation logo
Professional Booksellers School

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL LINKS

5% DISCOUNT FOR CALIBA MEMBERS - Independent Study: CALIBAind | Live Courses: CALIBAlive

INDIE TO INDIE LINKS

Independent Publishers Caucus

BOOKSTORE MAP

CALIBA Bookstore Map

This map shows our current bookstore members.

Note this info is public. Check your information on our website, then contact Alecia to update the map.

JOIN US ON DISCORD

Email Valentina to join.

Current CALIBA bookseller membership required.

HOUSEKEEPING

We're working hard to make your life easier with membership tips & tricks:

How to set up auto-pay for dues.

OFFICE HOURS WITH HANNAH

Join our monthly office hours (fourth Thursdays) to co-work with Hannah! Have a question, idea, or comment about a CALIBA program? Office hours are a great chance for you to check in directly with your Executive Director. Click here to register for a morning session (9-10am) or afternoon session (2-3pm) — or email Hannah to set up an appointment.

CALIBA Merchandise
Become a Member

CALIBA STAFF

Hannah Walcher

Executive Director

hannah@caliballiance.org

Valentina Moberg

Operations Manager

valentina@caliballiance.org

Alecia Reddick

Supporting Staff

alecia@caliballiance.org

Support CALIBA

Publishers support CALIBA when bookstores participate.

Bookstore Participation = Publisher Sponsorship = CALIBA = Bookstore Education, Advocacy, Networking +++

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