Greetings,

March is here and that means warm weather and Canadian Independent Bookstore Day are right around the corner! Although our hearts are breaking for those facing challenging times – particularly the people of Ukraine – we have much to be thankful for, including this remarkable community.

This month, we’re pleased to bring you notable association updates, our spring booklist, a ton of upcoming events, and more.

Let’s get into it.

March is off to an exciting start for CIBA and for independent booksellers across Canada! Here are some important announcements from your association. 

Support for Booksellers – Canada Book Fund

On Friday, the new Support for Booksellers component of the Canada Book Fund was officially announced! Our community may recall that CIBA submitted a proposal to the Department of Finance Canada in 2021 urging them to help  level the playing field for independent booksellers. Our proposal was a key factor in the government’s decision to invest $32.1 million in the success of Canadian booksellers.

Since then, we've worked with the Department of Canadian Heritage to develop the program, ensuring it provides meaningful benefits to our members. The Support for Booksellers program will provide integral support to help Canadian booksellers increase, and improve their business model for, online sales. See CIBA's full statement on this initiative here.

The application deadline for 2022-23 is April 25, 2022. CIBA will provide support to members who plan to apply. Stay tuned for details!

Biblioasis Introduces New Ordering Terms for Indie Partners

Last week, Biblioasis announced new terms for all Canadian independent accounts that order through their distributor, University of Toronto Press (UTP). These new terms include an increased discount of 44%, participation in UTP’s free freight program, and extended return deadlines.

CIBA members are thrilled to hear of the new terms being offered by Biblioasis. These changes reflect the importance of the partnership between Canadian publishers and booksellers in a healthy bookselling eco-system and will result in getting even more Canadian titles into the hands of our readers.

– Lori Cheverie, Chair of CIBA’s Supplier Relations Committee

Members can read the full announcement on CIBA’s professional forum.

Planning to stock up on Biblioasis books? Log in to revisit their recommendations from our Publisher Picks event. We devoured The Music Game by Stéfanie Clermont! 

CIBA Town Hall

Thank you to all the booksellers who responded to CIBA's survey last month. We appreciate your feedback and insights. 

Bookseller Members are invited to join us on March 31 for our first CIBA Town Hall. During this event, we will present the results of the survey and discuss upcoming priorities for the association including advocacy, supplier relations, and our new French-language books project. There will also be a short presentation by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business on a prospective partnership.

We hope you'll join us to discuss how our work can better serve you! Register using the link below. 

CIBA Town Hall (for Bookseller Members)
Thursday, March 31
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

Canadian Independent Bookstore Day will be here before we know it!

Our campaign toolkit is now live for CIBA members. It includes sample social posts, digital assets for promotion in-store and online, resources for outreach to local media and government officials, and much more. Members can log in to access the toolkit here.

Here are some other ways you can prepare for CIBD 2022:

We will publicly launch the campaign on Monday, April 4. We'll ramp up promotion throughout the month until April 30. With support from our publishing partners and Authors for Indies, you will also see significant promotion from Canadian authors and illustrators in the lead up to the big day. 

Don't forget to keep us in the loop about your plans! We are keen to boost the signal on bookstore activities. Please tag @CIBAbooks in your posts about so we can share them on our channels.

Publishers:
Want to share the campaign with your authors and illustrators? We’ve created a dedicated resource hub for creators who want to get involved this year! Please email Kayla Calder for access.
 

Mythbusters: You can use sales data information to identify emerging trends in the market 

Tuesday, April 5
9am PT, 10am MT, 11am CT, 12pm ET, 1pm AT, 1:30pm Newfoundland

This webinar will demonstrate how booksellers can use BookNet Canada's SalesData national retail sales platform to reveal emerging trends in the types of books Canadians are buying. BNC experts dig deep into the data to show you how to find book subjects on the move so you can keep on top of your customer's evolving wants and needs.

Presented by: BookNet Canada
Speaker: Monique Mongeon, Project Manager, BookNet Canada

Lectures & Labs: Overstock Returns, Dead Stock, and Inventory Reconciliation: Housekeeping Worth Your Time

Thursday, April 7
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland

It may not be as sexy or exciting as event planning or frontlist buying, but regular intervals set aside to deal with “housekeeping” provide a host of benefits. The trick is turning these sometimes-irregular tasks into well-organized processes. This session applies to both new and used bookstores.

Presented by: Bookmanager
Speaker: Trevor Neill

Lectures & Labs: Ask the Bookseller – Ordering and Replenishment

Tuesday, April 12
4pm PT, 5pm MT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET, 8pm AT, 8:30pm Newfoundland

In CIBA’s new “Ask the Bookseller” event series, attendees will learn about the business processes of independent booksellers across Canada. Our first session explores ordering and replenishment. How often do our panelists place orders and who is responsible? What systems do they use? How do they replenish their stock? Get the inside scoop from three booksellers and pick up tips from your peers.

French-language books for young people (part 1): Curating your stock of backlist titles 

Thursday, April 21
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland

With nearly 60 years of experience in the business, Librairie le Fureteur in Saint-Lambert, QC has earned a reputation for sharing great literary finds. Responsible for le Fureteur's youth section, Marika B. Drapeau will share her recommendations for curating a balanced selection of backlist titles. The presentation will provide CIBA booksellers with ideas for filling orders and making strategic recommendations. 

This event is the first in a series intended to create a comprehensive overview of French-Canadian creators and publishers. Stay tuned for details!

Presenter: Marika B. Drapeau, Librairie le Fureteur

BookNet Canada presents: Book industry state of the nation 2022

Tuesday, April 26
11am PT, 12pm MT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET, 3pm AT, 3:30pm Newfoundland

Join BookNet Canada’s President and CEO Noah Genner for an in-depth presentation of the most recent data on Canadian book buyers, readers, and consumers.

Presented by: BookNet Canada
Speaker: Noah Genner, President and CEO, BookNet Canada

Spring is almost here and – no surprise – we’re thinking about books!

With support from our publishing partners, we’ve curated a collection of new and forthcoming books to help fill out your lists and shelves. Featured authors and illustrators include Kern Carter, Deborah Ellis, Catherine Hernandez, Sheila Heti, Thomas King, Gordon Korman, and Simu Liu.

Check out the reading list for adults here.

Click here to see our list for young readers.

Glass Bookshop (Edmonton, AB) recently became a certified Living Wage Employer with the Alberta Living Wage Network. We spoke with co-owners Matthew Stepanic and Jason Purcell about their commitment to paying a living wage and how other bookstores might go about doing the same.

“This priority has allowed us to grow more sustainably and according to our values, which has a strengthening effect on our business. Productivity and revenue both continue to climb, our community remains passionately supportive, and everyone on the Glass Bookshop team feels appreciated.”

Read the interview now on our member blog.

Not a CIBA member? Join today to access a range of benefits including exclusive content on the member blog!

India Bookworld in Surrey, BC has been serving readers since 1993 and works with a wide range of librarians, teachers, government officials, and more. We spoke with co-owner Dr. Rajwant Chilana about the history of the store, their expansion into publishing, and his vision for the future. 

“We enjoy the service aspect of being independent booksellers the most. We love serving the needs of our local community and people interested in learning about South Asian cultures and languages. It’s a pleasure for us to work with them directly.” 

Read the article here.
 

We love seeing Canadian independent bookstores celebrated in the news. Here are some highlights from the past few months: 

"Five GTA bookstores to visit this spring" (Toronto Star, March 2022)

“Mathieu et Ilya, les amoureux copropriétaires de la Librairie Saga” (Fugues, February 2022, link will redirect) 

“With an $8K loan against a used car, Judith Drinnan changed the literary landscape of the N.W.T.” (CBC News, February 2022)

“Small businesses vs. the pandemic: How The Bookshelf is coping with COVID-19 restrictions” (The Ontarion, January 2022)

“Indie bookstore sales rise for December 2021 despite supply chain challenges” (Quill & Quire, January 2022, subscription required)

“The wonderful world of independent Montreal bookstores” (The Link, January 2022)

“Patricia Massy is a Book Person” (The Tyee, January 2022)
     

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