09.11.25 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

September 11, 2025

in Bookseller Newsletter,

No newsletter next week, we will hopefully see you at Fall Fest!

IN THIS ISSUE

A Message from Your Executive Director

Virtual Town Hall Oct. 1st

CALIBA Programs

Fall Fest: See You Next Week

Grants & Scholarships

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

CALIBA's Glenn Goldman Scholarship: Applications Close Oct. 31st

Professional Booksellers School

Read to Lead: "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz, Oct. 29th

Marketing Assets

National Coffee Day - Sept. 25th

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, Scrawl, Scribble & Smirch Bookshop!

Owner Name: Marie

Location: Gustine

Established: July 2025

About Our New Member: Scrawl, Scribble & Smirch Books is a woman-owned independent bookstore located in Gustine, Ca. The bookstore offers a mix of new books across various genres, a bargain section for affordable reads and a highly curated collection of used books. We also sell Funko Pops, Pokémon, Vinyl Records (new and used), Collectibles, Artisan Crafted Gifts and more. We have in-store events, like author signings, writing classes, craft classes and more.

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,

Thank you to those of you who reached out to me and board members in regards to Books Inc.'s news. In light of this announcement, I’d like to invite each of you to a Virtual Town Hall dedicated to this topic on October 1st at 4pm (pre-registration is required). The CALIBA Board and I want to hear your concerns, share ideas, and brainstorm possible next-steps for our industry.

That said, there are two things I can clarify now:

Once the sale goes through to B&N, Books Inc. will no longer qualify as a member of CALIBA. Expected to happen sometime in late September or early October.
Books Inc. booksellers participating on the Golden Poppy Award Committees are welcome to stay in their roles until the end of the Golden Poppy Awards season. This will allow for the least amount of disruption to our volunteer committees as they wrap up their work.

I hope to see you at the town hall, where we can discuss this development as a community. I look forward to seeing many of you next week at Fall Fest!

Best Wishes,

Hannah

CALIBA PROGRAMS

2025 FALL FEST: SEE YOU NEXT WEEK - BOOKSELLER REGISTRATION AT THE DOOR IS WELCOME

It's almost time for two full days of education, authors, and connection with booksellers throughout the state of California. Entry is free to CALIBA member bookstores and their staff. Seating is limited for author breakfast and lunch sessions, please check at the registration desk about meal ticket availability. Current bookstore membership required to register for Fall Fest.

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, Transit Books, Insight Editions, Weldon Owen, Mandala Publishing, and McSweeney's.

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

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)

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!

READ TO LEAD: "PROFIT FIRST" BY MIKE MICHALOWICZ

Our next Read to Lead book club will be all about your store's bottom line! We'll be reading Mike Michalowicz's "Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine." The discussion will be led by Erin Matthews, owner of The Last Word in Mt. Airy, MD and vice-president of the board for NAIBA. $35

Wednesday, October 29th

12pm-2pm PDT

NEW PROMO CODES: 5% DISCOUNT FOR CALIBA MEMBERS

Independent Study: CALIBAin

Live Courses: CALIBAlive

MARKETING ASSETS

CALIBA MARKETING ASSETS FOR BOOKSTORES

We've created assets that you can share with your customers. Click here to download Marketing Assets.

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

Happy National Coffee Day on September 25th.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

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

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

September 12: Winter Catalog assets available

September 15: Winter Institute 2026 Registration Opens

September 17-18: Fall Fest @ South San Francisco Conference Center - Bookseller Members Welcome to Register at the Door

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

October 12: Deadline to Nominate a Bookseller for the ABA Board

*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

Get Lit Books and Things Ruby's Books Book Society Bookshop Santa Cruz The Book Jewel In Bloom Bookery

1 - Get Lit Books & Things, in Moreno Valley, celebrated their 1st year. Congratulations!

2 - Ruby’s Books, in Folsom, will celebrate 5 years in business on September 28th.

3 - Book Society, in Berkeley, had a sweet surprise in their store - a marriage proposal!

4 - Bookshop Santa Cruz shared an appreciation post for their summer reading challenge co-sponsor, Pizza My Heart.

5 - The Book Jewel, in Los Angeles, has lots of ghouls and goodies for spooky season.

6 - In Bloom Bookery, in Temecula, is hosting another book binding workshop this weekend.

Shelf Awareness Feature

Autumnal Chalkboard: Green Apple Books

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).

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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