09.04.25 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

September 4, 2025

in Bookseller Newsletter,

IN THIS ISSUE

A Message from Your Executive Director

A Message from BINC

CALIBA Programs

Grants & Scholarships

CALIBA Committees

Professional Booksellers School

Industry Happenings

Marketing Assets

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts

Bestseller Lists

Classifieds

CALIBA Currently Reading

Resources

Bookstore Map

Office Hours with Hannah

CALIBA Staff

NEW MEMBER CORNER

Welcome to CALIBA, Hill’s Bookstore!

Owner Name: Kimberly & Adam Hill

Location: Hollister, Ca

Established: February 2025

About Our New Member: Our store is Woman-Veteran owned in a farm community in Central California. We offer a wide selection of books, stationary, and STEM gifts. Our store even features a “Red Room” that houses our Romance and Romantasy genres.

SHOW OFF YOUR CALIBA SPIRIT

Share your support of California Independent Bookstores in your stores and online. Click here to download the file (Login required).

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear CALIBA Members,

As a former Books Inc. employee, I am of course saddened to hear the news about Books Inc.'s pending sale to Barnes & Noble. As mentioned in Andy Perham's statement published in Shelf Awareness and Publishers Weekly today, the past 5 years have been extremely difficult for them, something I believe we can all relate to. I hope you all take the time to read the statement fully.

This tough, but necessary, decision does not erase the 174 years that Books Inc. has run as an independent bookstore and the decades of expertise and guidance they have provided the Indie Bookselling World via NCIBA, CALIBA, and the ABA. Their booksellers have influenced and bolstered the industry in ways we will forever be grateful for. I'm sure we will be discussing this change and what it means for our community across the country for months, if not years, to come.

If I may take my CALIBA Executive Director hat off for a moment and speak as a bookseller who wouldn't be here today, in this very position, if she hadn't walked into Books Inc. Burlingame, with a resume in hand, 11 years ago: My heart aches for what this means for CALIBA, but I am so happy and relieved that Books Inc. will still exist, neighborhoods will still have their local bookstores, and my friends will be able to continue being amazing booksellers. I owe so much to the people of Books Inc.and I wish the best for them in this transition and new chapter.

As for this year's Fall Fest, just two weeks away, there will still be a Books Inc. presence. A number of their employees are members of our Education Committee, Golden Poppy Committees, and Advisory Council. Each of these booksellers will have the choice to remain in their roles through the year, or for the case of the Golden Poppy Awards, through the award season. I hope that you all extend your kindness and understanding to our Books Inc. friends in the coming days.

With much love,

Hannah Walcher

Executive Director of CALIBA

A MESSAGE FROM BINC: NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Binc is here to help when the employees and owners of bookstores and comic shops have a severe financial need, including those caused by natural disasters such as the fires in your area.

Booksellers, comic retailers, and store owners can reach Binc via email on our website and we can provide information over the phone 1-866-733-9064.

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Winter Institute Glenn Goldman Scholarship

Applications Close Sept. 20th Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller

*EXTENDED* October 31st CALIBA's Glenn Goldman Scholarship Application (for ABA's 2026 Winter Institute)

CALIBA PROGRAMS

2025 FALL FEST: BOOKSELLER REGISTRATION CLOSES SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH

Please join us for two full days of education, authors, and connection with booksellers throughout the state of California. Booksellers - Register Now

Please note: meal tickets are limited, we recommend purchasing in advance online. We can’t guarantee meal tickets will be available at the door.

ATTENDEE RESOURCES

Schedule | Explore the Exhibit Hall | Where to Stay | Bookseller Checklist | Bookseller Carpool

FALL FEST MIX & MINGLE: MEET YOUR CALIFORNIA PUBLISHERS

Join us for a casual meet and greet with California publishers after Fall Fest Day 1, September 17th @ 6:30pm! Connect with your industry neighbors and learn

more about our California bookselling community.

Note: we need a headcount—attendees must have a Fall Fest badge to attend this event.

Click here to RSVP.

Sponsored by CALIBA, Two Lines Press, Heyday Books, Stanford University Press, University of California Press, Ten Speed Press, Third State Books, and Transit Books.

CALIBA MERCHANDISE

We'll be launching new merchandise at Fall Fest! Proceeds benefit our Glenn Goldman Scholarship Fund (our goal is to sell 50 units of each item). Ask us about our new merch when you check in at the registration desk.

Early Access CALIBA Merch:

I <3 California Bookstores Tee

Shop Indie CALIBA Tote Bag

OPT-IN TO THE *FREE* GOLDEN POPPY SHELF AWARENESS MAILINGS

Share the Golden Poppy Award finalists and winners with your customers for easy online shopping! Email Schedule: December 2, 2025 (Finalists) & January 30, 2026 (Winners). Click here to sign up.

Are you familiar with Shelf Awareness’ email service?

Yes, I've Used the Service

Yes, But I Haven’t Used the Service

No, I Need More Information

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

BOOKSTORE YEAR ONE: COMING IN JANUARY 2026

The first year of actually running a bookstore can be exhilarating AND overwhelming. PBS is here to help with Bookstore Year One, a combination of education, mentorship, and support group to turn your first year into a strong foundation to help your business grow. Sign up for the pre-list!

INDEPENDENT STUDY: NEW & UPDATED CLASSES

The Power of Ingram 2025 Edition - we've updated our IS listing with this spring's class, so you have the most current information on ordering through Ingram. $65

Now you can see all of the classes from each course available via Independent Study. Search by Course!

Inventory Management Independent Study - COMING THIS FALL

MARKETING ASSETS

CALIBA MARKETING ASSETS FOR BOOKSTORES

We've created assets that you can share with your customers.

-National Wildlife Day (9/4)

-Grandparents' Day (9/7)

Click here to download Marketing Assets.

POLL RESULTS: ARE THE CALIBA MARKETING ASSETS USEFUL FOR YOU?

38% - Yes, I've Used Them

32% - No, I Haven't Used Them

30% - I'd Like More Options

Have more marketing ideas or special events members would find useful? Send in your ideas here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

September: Self-Care Awareness Month / National Hispanic Heritage Month / Digital Catalog pages to stores

September 5: Catalog assets available

September 7: Fall Fest Bookseller Registration Closes

September 11: The Book Industry Study Group is coming to the Bay Area

September 17-18: Fall Fest @ South San Francisco Conference Center

September 20: Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller Application Deadline

October 1: Catalogs delivered to stores and newspapers

October 5-11: Banned Books Week

*EXTENDED* October 31: CALIBA's Glenn Goldman Scholarship Application Deadline (for ABA's 2026 Winter Institute)

October 31: Deadline for ABA Fall Show Special/ABA Membership Trial - use promo code: FallPromo2025

November 1: Catalogs delivered via direct mail

Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Activist Booksellers

September 4 2025 CALIBA Bookseller Shoutouts

Happy Birthday to you!

1 - The Book Jewel, in Westchester, is celebrating 5 years with a Book Swap & Live Music on September 6th.

2 - Shop Around the Corner Books, in Redding, signed their lease 4 years ago on September 1st!

3 - Arvida Book Co. is celebrating 5 years with a giveaway for teachers to shop their new bookmobile for 1 hour each!

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4 - Malibu Village Books had a great turnout for their community comeback event.

5 - dym books + boba, in Pasadena, gave a sneak peek with a day in the life post.

6 - Readers’ Books, in Sonoma, celebrated Ada Limón stopping by to sign copies of her new poetry collection, Startlement.

7 - Judging by the Cover Books, in Fresno, is gathering multimedia to honor the matriarchs who have shaped us.

8 - Volumes of Pleasure Bookshoppe, in Los Osos, showed off their lovely book display to highlight National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15).

9 - Green Apple Books, in San Francisco, with the reminder that Summer isn’t over yet - there’s still time for a mini Summer Reading Challenge!

10 - The Book Seller, in Grass Valley, has a ghoulish book display for year round horror readers.

11 - Ruby’s Books, in Folsom, with a red flag meme–turned book display. Pure gold.

12 - Pilgrim’s Way & Secret Garden, in Carmel, has created a cute and cozy display, with their Cat Corner to celebrate our feline friends.

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Shelf Awareness Features

Green Apple's Pete Mulvihill Joins Literary Agency, Keeps Day Job

Don't forget to follow and tag us (@caliba_20) to be featured! CALIBA resources has

info about being featured by Shelf Awareness, USA Today, and Bay City News.

BESTSELLER LISTS

Click here for the Los Angeles Times & Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

Click here for the San Francisco Chronicle & Northern California Independent Bookstore Bestseller List

CLASSIFIEDS

Accounting Assistant - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Publicist - Chronicle Books, San Francisco or New York
Brand Designer - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Ecommerce & Digital Sales Assistant - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Copy Freelancers - Chronicle Books

VISIT OUR CLASSIFIEDS

CALIBA CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff

Death of the Author

Nnedi Okorafor

9780063445789

Hannah

Executive Director

The God and the Gumiho

Sophie Kim

9780593599662

Valentina

Operations Manager

We Love You, Bunny

Mona Awad

9781668059869

RESOURCES

ABA LINKS

BINC LINKS

PBS' LINKS

BOOKSTORE MAP

This map shows our current bookstore members.

Don't see your store on the map? 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).