07.30.26 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

July 30, 2026

in Bookseller Newsletter,

PLAN FOR FALL FEST 2026 | GLENN GOLDMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOR Wi2027

IN THIS ISSUE

TAKE ACTION: NATIONAL BOOK BAN BILL + COMPETE ACT

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

*CONFERENCE SCHEDULE* 2026 Fall Fest, September 14-15th

BINC Fall Trade Show Scholarship Winner: Vanessa Slade of The Plot Twist Bookstore

*THIS YEAR ONLY* San Diego Bookstore Tours, Sept. 13th: Through the Fold + You Should Read

2026 Golden Poppy Awards

*REGISTER NOW* Tri-West Summer School is Back!

CALIBA Office Hours

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts & In the News

CALIBA's Currently Reading

Resources

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 - June 2026

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.

IS YOUR CALIBA MEMBERSHIP EXPIRED?

Check your member compass here to make sure you don't miss out on any of our programming.

RECENTLY OPENED A NEW LOCATION? Add a new store location on our website and label your original location as the "Parent Company."

JOIN US ON DISCORD

Email Valentina to join.

Current CALIBA bookseller membership required.

NEW MEMBER CORNER

Welcome to CALIBA, Missed Connections Bookstore!

Owner Name: Genevieve Parker

Location: Santa Clarita

Planned Opening Date: Oct. 1, 2026

About Our New Member: Missed Connections Bookstore is a new, independent bookstore in Old Town Newhall focusing on Romance, Science Fiction, and Fantasy books for all ages. Our goal is to connect the reader community with worlds in books by providing space, time, and events which positively support readers' inherent creativity and need for community.

NATIONAL BOOK BAN BILL

The equivalent of U.S. House Bill 7661, Senate Bill 4925 seeks to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit funding for school books and other resources said to contain “sexually oriented material.” Click here for more inforamtion about the National Book Ban Bill Introduced in Senate Committee.

The COMPETE Act is heading towards the California Senate Appropriations Committee, so it's time to show up in support of it!

The Institute of Local Self Reliance and Economic Security California Action are inviting CALIBA members to attend a Press Conference at the Capital Building in Sacramento at 10am on August 11th. If you are interested and able to attend, please fill out this form so we can share information with you.

Can’t attend in person, that’s ok, CALIBA’s Political Advocacy Committee will be working on organizing other ways you can show your support in the coming weeks. They’ll also be adding resources, like this poster, to this shared folder here. Questions? Reach out to Hannah.

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

2026 FALL FEST: CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Please join us for two full days of education, authors and connection with booksellers throughout the state of California. One of our biggest CALIBA membership perks!

Monday-Tuesday, September 14th-15th

DoubleTree by Hilton Mission Valley San Diego

7450 Hazard Center Drive

San Diego, CA 92108

Click here for more details.

BINC REGIONAL FALL TRADE SHOW SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Vanessa Slade of The Plot Twist Bookstore.

The BINC Regional Fall Trade Show Scholarship for CALIBA's 2026 Fall Fest in San Diego, September 14-15th, covers up to $750 in travel, hotel and registration allowance.

CALIBA 2026 FALL FEST SCHOLARSHIPS: APPLICATIONS CLOSE TOMORROW

We are rewarding 2 CALIBA members up to $750 to attend the 2026 Fall Fest on September 14-15, 2026. Applications close tomorrow (7/31)! Click here to apply.

*THIS YEAR ONLY!* SAN DIEGO BOOKSTORE TOURS, SEPT. 13TH: THROUGH THE FOLD + YOU SHOULD READ

Join fellow booksellers the day before Fall Fest for a special tour of San Diego Stores. Made possible by our friends and members at the UC San Diego Bookstore!

We've asked the participating stores to share what they love about San Diego and what places to visit! We'll feature 2 stores each week leading up to August 30th (end of registration).

BOOKSTORE TOUR ROUTES

"I love San Diego's character. You get the benefits of a big city, but every neighborhood has its own small community feel and personality. I grew up in a suburb in the south where everything was strip malls and big chains. Here, we have neighborhood markets, indie bookstores (of course), and shops and restaurants where you are likely to see the owners working because they live in the area. You get to know people and we take care of each other." —Jennifer Medeiros, Through the Fold

Favorite place to go: La Jolla Shores beach

"Our shop is located inside Liberty Public Market in San Diego's historic Liberty Station, a beautifully restored former Naval Training Center that's now home to more than 300 local businesses. Just minutes away are our favorite places to explore: the breathtaking coastal trails of Sunset Cliffs and the vibrant neighborhood of Ocean Beach, known for its quirky charm, independent shops, iconic dog beach, and fantastic restaurants. What we love most about San Diego, though, is its incredible community of creatives, makers, and small businesses. It's the kind of city where a tiny bookshop that started at a farmers' market can grow into a beloved neighborhood destination. We feel incredibly lucky to call it home." —Yulia Konovnitsyna, You Should Read

2026 GOLDEN POPPY AWARDS

CALIBA members present The Golden Poppy Book Awards to recognize the most distinguished California writers and artists.

IMPORTANT GOLDEN POPPY AWARDS DATES:

-August 24th - Finalists Announced

-September 15th - In-Person Awards Ceremony [Dress Code: Cocktail Attire]

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

TRI-WEST SUMMER SCHOOL IS BACK! REGISTER NOW

These FREE, virtual sessions offer professional development and networking opportunities for every bookseller, no travel required! Co-produced by CALIBA, MPIBA, and PNBA.

The New Social Code: Five Relational Edges for Thriving in the Age of Intelligence

Wednesday, August 5th at 12pm PDT

Indie bookstores still offer something AI and technology cannot copy: the human algorithm. The authors of the upcoming book, The New Social Code will examine the stories of Mary Shelley, Billie Eilish, Benjamin Franklin, and others, to explore the Five Relational Edges for thriving in the age of AI. Learn to deepen customer relationships, strengthen teamwork, spark ideas, and build influence through trust. A guided breakout will follow. Click here to register now.

VIEW THE FULL COURSE SCHEDULE

VIEW PAST SESSION RESOURCES

CALIBA OFFICE HOURS

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.

CALL FOR BOOKSELLERS

Looking for extra staffing or employment this summer?

CALL FOR MENTORS

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

JOIN A CALIBA COMMITTEE

BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS & MARKETING

CALIBA MARKETING ASSETS

Paperback Book Day (7/30)
Book Lovers Day (8/9) - assets available on site
BIPOC Committee: We Are America Campaign
Certified Indie Bookstore Campaign

MORE MARKETING ASSETS

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

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

July: Disability Pride Month / Margins Bookselling Month / National Culinary Arts Month / National Independent Retailer Month

July 30: Paperback Book Day Marketing Assets

July 31: Deadline to apply for CALIBA's 2026 Fall Fest Scholarships

August: Black Business Month / Women In Translation Month / Back to School Month

August 9: Book Lovers Day - Marketing Assets Available July 24th

August 14: Love Your Bookshop Day

August 15: Bookstore Romance Day

August 29: Black Boosktsore Day

August 31: We Love Memoirs Day

September: Self-Care Awareness Month / National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)

September 7: Labor Day

September 8: International Literacy Day

September 11-13: Rosh Hashanah

September 13-15: 2026 Fall Fest: Bookstore Tour & Bookseller Conference - Register Now

September 15: National Voter Registration Day

September 20: Yom Kippur

September 22: Autumn Equinox/First Day of Fall

September 25: National Comic Book Day

CALIBA Bookseller Shoutouts July 30, 2026

1 - The Pleasant Pheasant Bookstore, in Woodland, has opened their new location on Main!

2 - Book Society, in Berkeley, was named a favorite indie bookstore in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.

3 - The Book Jewel, in Los Angeles, showed off this highlight of LA’s indie book crawl - Jennifer Caspar of Village Well Books & Coffee (Culver City) giving a tour to ABC 7.

4 - Diesel, A Bookstore, in Santa Monica, celebrated a successful LA indie book crawl.

5 - Vroman’s Bookstore, in Pasadena, is featuring the “Raising Readers” campaign as a table display in store - to highlight the importance of reading for pleasure with kids and to encourage adults to make reading part of our children’s daily lives.

6 - Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore, in Fresno, will have new limited-edition totes in August, that will support artists and their store.

7 - Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural, in Sylmar, is having fun and showing off their team like a telenovela.

8 - Word Horde Emporium, in Petaluma, is ready to turn the page on 2026, with a variety of 2027 calendars.

In the News

Northeastern University in Oakland, CA is looking to get rid of some slat walls and theater style chairs. Luan is a former bookstore owner (Laurel Books) so she wanted give an offer to bookstores first. Free with pick up. Let Hannah know if you're interested and she'll connect you.

BOOKSTORE FEATURES

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.

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.

BOOKSTORE: 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.

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