10.23.25 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

October 23, 2025

in Bookseller Newsletter,

Professional Booksellers School Bonfire Campaign

IN THIS ISSUE

CALIBA PROGRAMS

*Today at 2pm PT* Make the Most of the Winter Catalog

*Opt-In by Nov. 3rd* Golden Poppy Awards Shelf Awareness Mailings

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Children's Institute 2026 Scholarship Applications Open

*Deadline Oct. 31st* James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program

FROM THE ABA

*Oct. 27th* Measure What Matters Session

*Oct. 30th* ABACUS Workshop

INDIE BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

Bookstore Year One Registration Open

2026 Live Course Schedule Is Up

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, Moonstone & Mist Bookshop!

Owner Name: Renee Joyce

Location: Redondo Beach

Established: Pop-Up Shops will begin in October and a permanent space will open in 2026

About Our New Member: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, tourists flocked to Redondo Beach to collect moonstones from large deposits that washed ashore; the area that is now King Harbor used to be known as Moonstone Beach. The Moonstone & Mist Bookshop will capture the romance, history, and adventure of the past in a cozy bookshop carrying a curated collection of new and gently used romance, fantasy, historical fiction, poetry, science fiction, adventure, fairy tales, mythology, folklore, and themed cookbooks by diverse authors for readers of all genders and all ages.

SHOW OFF YOUR CALIBA SPIRIT

Click here to download the file (Login required).

CALIBA PROGRAMS

*TODAY AT 2PM* MAKE THE MOST OF THE WINTER CATALOG

Learn the ins and outs on how to use the catalogs to your advantage during Hannah's Office Hours. Click here to RSVP.

WINTER 2025 CATALOGS HAVE SHIPPED TO STORES

Thank you for ordering your winter catalogs. CALIBA will provide up to $200 rebate for bookstores that participated in newspaper insertions and saturation mailing. Winter Catalog Rebate Form

Note: CALIBA has a select number of copies of the catalog if you run out of copies or missed the order deadline. Email info@caliballiance.org.

Download professionally designed catalog resources.

Edelweiss list of CALIBA winter catalog titles.

Starting October 1, Ingram will add a 2% discount on all winter catalog titles. No code needed.

OPT-IN TO THE *FREE* GOLDEN POPPY SHELF AWARENESS MAILINGS BY NOV. 3RD

Share the Golden Poppy Award finalists (Dec. 2nd) and winners (Jan. 30th) with your customers for easy online shopping! Deadline to opt-in: November 3rd. Click here to sign up.

These mailings include a store-branded landing page with a unique URL specific to your store, making it easy to share the entire list on your website and through social media.

NOTE: If you have participated in this program, or any other email program via Shelf Awareness, you don’t need to supply a logo or reply-to email again, just upload your current e-mail list and we’ll use the logo and reply-to address already on hand.

CALIBA Virtual Town Hall Meeting Feedback

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR VIRTUAL TOWN HALL

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend our Virtual Town Hall on October 1st.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, we want to hear from you too! We’ve put together this form (login required) where you can provide feedback on what was discussed in this first meeting as well as submit your own concerns and ideas.

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.

SUBSTITUTE BOOKSELLER PROGRAM: NEED HELP AT THE BOOKSTORE FOR AN EVENT OR DURING THE HOLIDAY RUSH?

If you are looking for some help, we have a few booksellers that have already filled out the form! Find a Substitute Bookseller Here (login required). If you are having trouble accessing your account, email Valentina.

If you would like to be a Substitute Bookseller, fill out this form!

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Children's Institute 2026 Scholarships Opening

CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE 2026 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN

Click here for more information.

*DEADLINE OCTOBER 31ST* JAMES PATTERSON HOLIDAY BOOKSTORE BONUS PROGRAM

Click here for more information and to nominate booksellers.

BLACK BOOKSTORE HERITAGE GRANT

Applications are now open for the Black Bookstore Heritage Grant.

FROM THE ABA

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS: FIVE KEY NUMBERS TO FOCUS ON DURING TURBULENT TIMES ON OCTOBER 27TH

Originally presented at the Summer/Fall Regional Trade Shows, this session is designed to help you understand and track key metrics in order to make more data-driven decisions. Click here to register.

ABACUS WORKSHOP: LEARN HOW TO READ YOUR ABACUS REPORT ON OCTOBER 30TH

Review the key takeaways from this year’s ABACUS report and learn how to use your individualized results! Click here to register.

OPEN ENROLLMENT REMINDERS FOR BOOKSELLERS

ABA's health coverage partner, Gallagher (formerly LIG), has compiled reminders and key dates to help you prepare for this Open Enrollment season. Click here to learn more.

INDIE BOOKSTORE PROMOTIONS

PRH TWO-DAY HOLIDAY TRANSIT IS BACK

Penguin Random House's 14th annual two-day holiday transit program for independent bookstores began October 15, and will run through January 26, 2026.

The program, which supports independent bookstores during and beyond the holiday season, will continue to feature the "no minimums" requirement first introduced during the Covid pandemic. Booksellers can submit orders in any quantity, on their schedule, without having to build up to a minimum-retail-value threshold.

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL

2026 LIVE COURSE SCHEDULE IS UP

Click here for the Professional Booksellers School live course schedule.

Upcoming registration dates:

- November 10: Event Management registration opens

- November 17: Inventory Management registration opens

BOOKSTORE YEAR ONE REGISTRATION OPEN

Bookstore Year One walks new bookstore owners through their all-important first year to help build systems, schedules, policies and procedures that will set stores up for success. CALIBA members get a 5% discount with code: CALIBAind. Click here for more details.

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: CALIBAind

Live Courses: CALIBAlive

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

October: National Hispanic Heritage Month / LGBTQ+ History Month / National Book Month / National Reading Group Month / Filipino American History Month / National Cookbook Month

October 31: James Patterson Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program Nominations End / Deadline for ABA Fall Show Special/ABA Membership Trial - use promo code: FallPromo2025

November: National Native American Heritage Month / Picture Book Month / National Novel Writing Month / Nonfiction November

November 1: Catalog delivery via direct mail

November 3-9: Children's Book Week

November 4: General Election Day

November 10-14: University Press Week

November 10: Event Management registration opens

November 13: Indie Bookstore Day 2026 Exclusives Order Form closes

November 17: Inventory Management registration opens

November 19: National Book Awards

November 20: Children's Institute 2026 Scholarship Applications Close

November 24: 2025 Golden Poppy Awards Finalists Announcement

November 27: CALIBA Office Closed in Observance of Thanksgiving

November 28: Plaid Friday

November 29: Small Business Saturday / Indies First

January 12: Basic Bookselling Course & Store and Operations Management registration opens

March 31: Indie Bookstore Day 2026 General Participation Form closes

April 25: Independent Bookstore Day

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.

Noe Valley Books Fair Arrow Books City Lights Bookstore Judging by the Cover Books Shop Around the Books Green Apple Books

1 - Noe Valley Books, in San Francisco, is celebrating their one year anniversary with a sale. Happy Birthday!

2 - Fair Arrow Books, in Martinez, is putting the finishing touches on their interiors for their opening on November 2nd.

3 - City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, in San Francisco, has a new banner series posted along their exterior.

4 - Judging by the Cover, in San Dimas has picked out some book selections for Banned Books Week and No Kings Day.

5 - The Book Loft, in Solvang, has a “we Louvre an art book” rec list for the art lover…or thief.

6 - Shop Around the Corner Books, in Redding, updated their window display with fall foliage made from book pages.

7 - Green Apple Books, in San Francisco, has a spooky season sign with an important message - “read more.”

8 - A Seat at the Table Books, in Elk Grove, had a successful event for their “Weekend of the Witch” workshop honoring ancestors.

In the News

San Francisco Bookshop Faces Threats: Noe Valley Books has been targeted with transphobic stickers and pamphlets.
Vroman's Bookstore Update: Long-Term Lease Secured with Property Sale
Federal Judge Grants Permanent Injunction Against Texas READER Act

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

*NEW* National Trades Sale Manager - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
*NEW* Export Sales Manager - Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Publishing Assistant - The Collective Book Studio, Oakland
Bookstore Manager - Chevalier's, Los Angeles

VIEW MORE LISTINGS

CALIBA CURRENTLY READING

Alecia

Supporting Staff

One of Our Kind

Nicola Yoon

9780593470688

Hannah

Executive Director

Creating a Salon: The Magic of Conversations that Matter

Linda-Marie Barrett (SIBA ED)

9781572843561

Valentina

Operations Manager

When the Wolf Comes Home

Nat Cassidy

9781250354341

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).