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05.21.26 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

Date postedMay 21, 2026
Bookseller Newsletter,

**No newsletter next week, we will hopefully see you at the Pasadena Spring Forum!**
 
2026 Winter Catalog for Bookstores
 
CALIBA Bookseller Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

CALIBA ANNOUNCEMENT

CALIBA Office Closed May 26th-29th

CALIBA Board of Directors: Voting Closes May 29th

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Pasadena Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum, May 27th-28th

Tri-West Summer School is Back!

*Direct Mail Orders & Cover Contest Voting Ends June 1st*

2026 Winter Catalogs

2026 Summer Reading Guide

Substitute Bookseller Program

Mentorship Program

CALIBA Committees

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

*NEW* Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarship application deadline is June 1st

*NEW* Binc Regional Fall Tradeshow Scholarship application deadline is June 5th

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING ASSETS

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION

INDUSTRY EVENTS & SMALL BIZ CORNER

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts & In the News

Fundraisers

Classifieds

CALIBA's Currently Reading

Resources

CALIBA Bookstore Map

Office Hours

CALIBA Merchandise

Become a Member Today

CALIBA Staff

BESTSELLERS LISTS

The Los Angeles Times & Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

The San Francisco Chronicle & Northern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers

Indie Next List & Kids' Indie Next List

BLK Bestsellers list - April 2026

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

MEMBER CORNER

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

CALIBA ANNOUNCEMENT

The CALIBA Office will be closed Tuesday-Friday, May 26th-29th while we travel and host the Owners’ Retreat & Spring Forum in Pasadena.

CALIBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: VOTING CLOSES MAY 29TH

On the ballot: Sam Robertson, Board Member (Arvida Book Company), Bridget Schinnerer, Secretary (Vroman's Bookstore), Jhoanna Belfer, Board Member (Bel Canto Books), Seth Marko, Board Member (The Book Catapult), Vanessa Martini, Board Member (Green Apple Books), and Shannon Grant, Publisher Member (Simon & Schuster). 

Ballots have been emailed to primary store contacts.

One vote per bookstore (owner/designated proxy only).

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS
CALIBA Owners' Retreat & Spring Forum Pasadena Schedules

PASADENA OWNERS' RETREAT & SPRING FORUM: HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

CALIBA is meeting at the Pasadena Hilton for a day of lively conversation, education, rep picks, and networking at the Owners' Retreat, 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.

TRI-WEST SUMMER SCHOOL IS BACK!

These FREE, virtual summertime sessions offer professional development and networking opportunities for every bookseller, no travel required! Co-produced by CALIBA, MPIBA, and PNBA. Full course schedule to come in early June.
2026 Winter Catalog Cover Contest

*DIRECT MAIL ORDERS &

COVER CONTEST VOTING ENDS JUNE 1ST* 

2026 WINTER CATALOGS

Publishers have delivered beautiful, thoughtful, and heartfelt designs. Please spend time with each design and rank your favorites in the contest cover ballot. One vote per bookstore.

Vote for your favorite catalog cover

Recommend titles for the Winter Catalog

Order your Winter Catalogs Now -
Get up to 5,000 free catalogs!
2026 Summer Reading Guide Cover

2026 SUMMER READING GUIDE: USAGE GUIDELINES

Looking for ways to share the Summer catalogs within your community? Click here to view the usage guidelines and our 12-week Summer Challenge.

Share your display and marketing ideas with us on Discord, tag us on social, or email Hannah. 
2026 Summer Reading Guide - Digital Catalog

USE THE DIGITAL CATALOG & MARKETING ASSETS TO PROMOTE THE SUMMER READING GUIDE

Check your inboxes for your digital catalog and start promoting it now! To help you kickoff your marketing plan RAMP created marketing resources for you to share with your community. 

Resources:
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

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS
Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarships

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING ASSETS

CALIBA SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ASSETS

*AVAILABLE ON SITE TOMORROW, MAY 22ND* Juneteenth (6/19)

*AVAILABLE JUNE 26TH* Paperback Book Day (7/30)

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

Sign up now to get a free Banned Books Week Kit sent to your bookstore!

CERTIFIED INDIE BOOKSTORE CAMPAIGN

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

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

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

5% DISCOUNT FOR CALIBA MEMBERS - Independent Study: CALIBAind | Live Courses: CALIBAlive
Professional Booksellers School logo

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:

- Structure of Bookselling Finances - Register Now

- School-Facing Events - Register Now

- Inventory Management - Register Now

- Basic Bookselling Store Subscription - Register Now

AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION
American Booksellers Association logo

Watch the recording of LeVar Burton’s Wi2026 keynote! Available for a limited time only!

Start your 2025 ABACUS! (Need help? Register for a workshop and/or office hours!)

Register now for the ABA Annual Meeting and Community Forum on May 28!

Take advantage of the Summer/Fall 2026 Indies Introduce publisher specials.

View the full list of Ci2026 authors and speakers.

Download the 2026 Q3 marketing calendar handouts!

National Book Ban Bill - Download Assets

Read the concerning new data about school book bans in 2025.

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
A Great Good Place for Books image

A GOODBYE TOAST FOR KATHLEEN AND A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS

Come say goodbye to Kathleen Caldwell as she ends her long, illustrious career as bookseller extraordinaire and owner of A Great Good Place for Books. This is for book industry people: reps, booksellers, publishers, etc. There'll be cake and bubbly. Official toast will be around 3:45.

A Great Good Place for Books

6120 La Salle Ave, Oakland, CA

Sunday, May 31st @ 3-4:30 pm

Please RSVP: Carolyn@mrsdalloways.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

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

May 22: Juneteenth Marketing Assets Available

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

May 29: CALIBA Board of Directors Ballot Closes

June: Pride Month / Audiobook Appreciation Month

June 1: 2026 Winter Catalog Saturation/Direct Mailing Orders & Cover Contest Voting Ends / 2026 Summer Reading Guide 12-Week Challenge Kickoff

June 15: 2026 Winter Catalog Orders (excl. Saturation Mailing) & Bookseller Recommendations Close

June 19: Juneteenth

June 21: Father's Day

June 25: Deadline to request a Banned Books Week Kit for 2026

June 26: Paperback Book Day Marketing Assets Available

June 26-29: ABA Children's Institute

September 13: Fall Fest Bookstore Tour
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.
1 - Ember & Ink, in Hermosa Beach, is soft opening today! 2 - Once Upon A Time Bookstore, in Montrose, is turning 60 this year! 3 - Underdog Bookstore, in Monrovia, received the LGBTQ+ Pride Month proclamation from Monrovia’s City Council. Congrats! 4 - Judging by the Cover, in Fresno, has officially moved out of their Chinatown location. 5 - Builders Booksource, in Berkeley, celebrated happy bike to wherever day with bike books. 6 - Bookshop Santa Cruz has a Junior Bookseller Program to give young readers a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of bookselling this summer. 7 - AANHPI Month Bookshop Benicia Vroman’s Bookstore (Pasadena) Zibby’s Bookshop (Santa Monica) 8 - Grad Season Noe Valley Books (San Francisco) Mrs. Dalloway’s (Berkeley) Peninsula Book Collaborative (Daly City)

1 - Ember & Ink, in Hermosa Beach, is soft opening today! 

2 - Once Upon A Time Bookstore, in Montrose, is turning 60 this year!

3 - Underdog Bookstore, in Monrovia, received the LGBTQ+ Pride Month proclamation from Monrovia’s City Council. Congrats!

4 - Judging by the Cover, in Fresno, has officially moved out of their Chinatown location.  

5 - Builders Booksource, in Berkeley, celebrated happy bike to wherever day with bike books.  

6 - Bookshop Santa Cruz has a Junior Bookseller Program to give young readers a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of bookselling this summer.

7 - AANHPI Month

Bookshop Benicia

Vroman’s Bookstore (Pasadena) 

Zibby’s Bookshop (Santa Monica) 

8 - Grad Season

Noe Valley Books (San Francisco) 

Mrs. Dalloway’s (Berkeley) 

Peninsula Book Collaborative (Daly City) 

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

CLASSIFIEDS
  • Editor - Silver Dolphin & Studio Fun, San Diego
  • Designer - Silver Dolphin & Studio Fun, San Diego
  • Copy Editor - VIZ Media, San Francisco
  • Licensed Publishing Director - Chronicle Books, San Francisco or New York
VIEW MORE LISTINGS

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

CALIBA'S CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff
One & Only Maurene Goo 9798217181162

One & Only

Maurene Goo

9798217181162

Hannah

Executive Director
Midnight Library Matt Haig 9780525559498

Midnight Library

Matt Haig

9780525559498

Valentina

Operations Manager
Evil Genius Claire Oshetsky 9780063466487

Evil Genius

Claire Oshetsky

9780063466487

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 - MEET HANNAH AT PASADENA SPRING FORUM

Virtual office hours will resume in June. 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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