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Contemporary bookselling requires advanced strategic thinking, a keen sense of customer behavior, strong financial literacy, proficiency in ecommerce, digital media analytics, personnel development, community outreach, and, above all, a passion for the written word. As a core component of the ABA's Ends Policies, the ABA offers a wide range of resources as an exclusive benefit for members of the ABA. Designed with the professional bookseller in mind, these resources include tailored educational sessions and events, customizable forms and documents, financial benchmarks and tools, and educational meetups. From bookselling fundamentals to digital challenges, ABA Education equips bookstores with the necessary tools to achieve profitability, differentiate themselves from their competitors, and remain relevant and innovative in the ever-evolving industry.
Education Conferences
ABA hosts two national education conferences per year.
- Winter Institute: ABA's premiere four-day annual industry conference featuring educational programming for independent bookstores, as well as keynote talks, author receptions, publisher parties, and dedicated time to network with booksellers, authors, and publishers from around the country. As the largest gathering of bookselling professionals in the US, Winter Institute attracts over 900 booksellers, along with hundreds of authors, publishing professionals, international booksellers, and industry partners. The 21st annual Winter Institute (Wi2026) will be held in Pittsburgh, PA from February 23 to 26, 2026.
- Children's Institute: A four-day event offering unique education for children’s booksellers in addition to general education sessions, roundtable discussions, networking events, and author appearances. The 14th annual Children's Institute (Ci2026) will be held in Schaumburg, IL from June 26 to 29, 2026.
In addition to ABA's national conference education, ABA presents specially-designed education at the annual Regional Indie Bookseller Associations Tradeshows.
- Fall 2025: Measure What Matters: 5 KPIs for Turbulent Times and Know Your First Amendment Rights with Philomena Polefrone
- Fall 2024: Prioritizing Cash Flow: 10 Areas to Review for Improved Cash Flow and Profitability
- Fall 2023: This is a Fire Drill: Preparing for and Avoiding Crises
- Fall 2022: Decoding the P&L for Booksellers, Managers, and Owners
On Demand Education Sessions
Browse our collection of education sessions recorded virtually and at ABA Institutes, including:
Bookstore Resource Library
The Bookstore Resource Library is a collection of customizable templates and resources specifically designed for bookstores. From Consignment Applications to Daily Checklists, we’ve collected essential bookstore forms and documents that you can edit to meet the particular needs of your store, along with toolkits on everything from Advocacy to ABACUS.
Virtual Meetups
Virtual meetups are an opportunity to network and learn from fellow booksellers on a range of topics relevant to bookselling today. View upcoming virtual meetups here.
- ShopTalks: Open conversation format to share best practices, talk about business, and crowdsource ideas & solutions to problems. ShopTalks are held bimonthly on Tuesdays. Dedicated ABA Children's Group ShopTalks meet quarterly.
- New Member Series: The three-part New Member Series runs quarterly, with meetups dedicated to Intro to ABA Benefits, Store Ownership 101, and Business Services.
- ABA Board Office Hours & ABA Open Houses: These forums offer an opportunity for booksellers and bookstore owners to talk directly with ABA board members and ABA staff to ask questions, share concerns or experiences, and/or express their needs for support.
- Affinity Groups: Affinity Groups are now available 24/7 via Discord! If you were previously part of an Affinity Group we’ve sent you an email with how to join the Discord. If you're joining for the first time, visit your Member Dashboard, click on Email Subscriptions, and join the group(s) you identify within. While allies are greatly appreciated, these groups are available only for individuals who identify as members of these communities.
BookED: ABA's Bookstore Education Podcast
Tune in to audio recordings from past ABA education sessions! New episodes will be added each week, so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app for updates when a new episode drops.
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ABACUS Financial Benchmarking Report
Opening a Bookstore
Bookselling is a wonderful and fulfilling profession. Owning your own store may seem a natural and attractive idea if you love books; however, passion and knowledge have to be combined with business acumen if your bookstore is to succeed. Like any other retail business, you will have to meet the cost of rent, utilities, compensation, and payments to your vendors, all while striving to make your bookstore profitable. It's not always easy, but ABA and our community of booksellers and industry professionals are here to help you each step of the way. Our Opening a Bookstore Tool Kit includes information on Provisional ABA Membership, Prospective Booksellers School, and developing your business plan.
Professional Booksellers School
ABA is also a sponsor of the Professional Booksellers School, an organization that provides training and offers professional certification for retail bookselling. Taught by seasoned booksellers, the school opened its first class in 2021 and trains hundreds of booksellers each year.
Submit Your Ideas!
ABA Education strives to meet the needs of ABA Member Bookstores through peer-driven and expert-led conference and virtual programming. In order to serve the diverse needs of our membership, we actively welcome all ideas for future education programming, panelists, and speakers for ABA Conferences and virtual programming. As an industry trade organization, we rely on the generosity and expertise of individual booksellers to provide peer-to-peer professional development and operational support with the bookselling community at large. Submit your ideas and suggestions for forthcoming education through this form or reach out to the ABA Education Team directly at [email protected].