02.20.25 CALIBA Bookseller News & Information

February 20, 2025

in Bookseller Newsletter,

2025 Indie Summer Reading Guide. Curated & Digital Catalogs. Order Now.

IN THIS ISSUE

CALIBA Programs & Events:

FREE Summer Reading Guide

CALIBA's Summer Reading Guide Orders Goal

Summer Reading Guide Office Hours with Hannah

Golden Poppy Awards Ceremony Hosted by Joanna Ho

*A FEW SPOTS OPEN* 2025 Golden Poppy Awards Committees

CALIBA 2025 Spring Forums in Oakland and Del Mar

Booksellers in the News:

Books Inc. (Alameda) featured in SFGate

Village Well Books & Coffee (Culver City) featured in Shelf Awareness

Resources:

Beneficial Ownership Reporting Update

PBS' Bookstore Finances Course Registration Opens March 10

PBS Book Club: Read to Lead

Marketing Assets:

2024 Golden Poppy Awards

The Golden Poppy Wildfire Fundraiser for Binc: Help SoCal Booksellers Rebuild

Independent Bookstore Day

Dates and Deadlines

Bookseller Shoutouts

Bestseller Lists

Classifieds

CALIBA Currently Reading

Bookseller Resources

NEW MEMBER CORNER

I am a first-generation Southeast Asian American woman who grew up with an intense love for reading. I wanted to serve my community with diverse books and drinks, encouraging thought and connection. I proudly run the store with my husband, Rigo, and my stepsons.

Welcome to CALIBA, dym books & boba!

Owner: Desiree Sayarath

Established: June 2024

About Our New Member: I am a first-generation Southeast Asian American woman who grew up with an intense love for reading. I wanted to serve my community with diverse books and drinks, encouraging thought and connection. I proudly run the store with my husband, Rigo, and my stepsons.

LA WILDFIRES UPDATE

The fires are contained, but the work to rebuild continues. We will continue to update the LA Wildfires Mutual Aid Google document to share ways that you can support bookstores affected by the fires. You can find this document plus resources for booksellers affected by the fire on the CALIBA LA Fires Resource page.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

The CALIBA Office will be pairing booksellers interested in learning from each other to help their businesses thrive. Click here for more info.

CALIBA STAFF

Hannah Walcher

Executive Director

hannah@caliballiance.org

Valentina Moberg

Operations Manager

valentina@caliballiance.org

Alecia Reddick

Supporting Staff

alecia@caliballiance.org

JOIN CALIBA'S DISCORD!

Email Valentina to join.

Current CALIBA bookseller membership required.

CALIBA PROGRAMS & EVENTS

FREE SUMMER READING GUIDE

Our FREE 2025 Indie Summer Reading Guides are back! Order through RAMP (Regional Association Marketing & Promotion) by March 15th. Catalogs will arrive to stores by May 8th, to help you promote summer reading in time for Memorial Day!

This year's beautiful cover is from Zoé de Las Cases' Paris Co louring Book from Octopus Books/Hachette.

CALIBA'S SUMMER READING GUIDE ORDERS GOAL

We've currently got 42% of our goal in for the 2025 Indie Summer Reading Guide orders. Help us meet our goal, support our organization, AND receive free marketing materials for your store! Filling out the order form is quick; it only takes 15 minutes.

SUMMER READING GUIDE OFFICE HOURS WITH HANNAH

Need a buddy while you fill out the Summer Reading Guide form? Join our office hours to co-work with Hannah or discuss how you can use the Summer Reading Guide in your store, at events and within your community.

SESSION TIMES

Wed., March 5th - 9am to 10am

Wed., March 5th - 2pm to 3pm

Thurs., March 13th - 9am to 10am

Thurs., March 13th - 2pm to 3pm

THE VOTES ARE IN. GOLDEN POPPY AWARDS CEREMONY HOSTED BY JOANNA HO

We are excited to announce that award-winning author Joanna Ho will be hosting the Golden Poppy Awards Ceremony. Tune in on Thursday, March 6th to watch the announcement and meet the winners. Register now!

Promote the Golden Poppy Awards in your store:

Host a watch party for your customers!
Share the link to register and the donation link to Help SoCal Booksellers Rebuild with your customers.
View the Golden Poppy Finalists here.
Order free Finalist stickers; Winner stickers and bookmarks here.
*NEW MERCH ADDED* Shop Golden Poppy merchandise here.
*NEW ASSETS ADDED* Download social media, shelf talkers, and posters.

Planning a Golden Poppy watch party in your store? Email Hannah.

2025 GOLDEN POPPY AWARDS COMMITTEES: A FEW SPOTS AVAILABLE!

The Golden Poppy Awards Committees are made up of booksellers throughout the state tasked with developing a final ballot that will be voted upon by CALIBA's bookstore membership and their employees. Click here for info.

The following committees are seeking members:

Mystery
Poetry
Martin Cruz Smith Award for Emerging, Diverse Voices

Interested in joining a Golden Poppy Committee?

Email Valentina.

CALIBA Spring Forums: Oakland, April 1st and Del Mar, May 7th, 2025.

OAKLAND SPRING FORUM ON APRIL 1ST

Need a lift to Oakland Spring Forum '25? Sign up here and find a carpool.
Reserve your room by March 10th.
Schedule and registration available March 1st

DEL MAR SPRING FORUM ON MAY 7TH

Need a lift to Del Mar Spring Forum '25? Click here to sign up and find a carpool.
Reserve your room by April 7th.

Click here to learn about CALIBA's 2025 Spring Forums.

BOOKSELLERS IN THE NEWS

Village Well Books & Coffee in Culver City, Calif., hosted the launch of Tracey Gee's The Magic of Knowing What You Want (Revell). Gee (front, kneeling) was in conversation with her editor, Grace P. Cho.

Image: Tracey Gee (front, kneeling) was in conversation with her editor, Grace P. Cho at Village Well Books & Coffee.

Books Inc. Store Thrives Through Community In Face Of Chain's Economic Troubles (SFGate)

Village Well Books & Coffee in Culver City, hosted the launch of Tracey Gee's The Magic of Knowing What You Want (Shelf Awareness)

A multicolored banner with the headline "THE LOST VOICE A Memoir by Greta Morgan" with a button that says, "Read Now On Edelweiss" and text that says "Indie Next Deadline March 24, 2025"

RESOURCES

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING UPDATE

"Following the February 18, 2025, decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Smith, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, et al., 6:24-cv-00336, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has announced that beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act are back in effect, with a new deadline of March 21, 2025 for most companies.

FinCEN has also announced that it will assess its options to further modify deadlines, while prioritizing reporting for those entities that pose the most significant national security risks. FinCEN intends to initiate a process this year to revise the BOI reporting rule to reduce burden for lower-risk entities, including many U.S. small businesses." - from the Federal Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)

Click here for more information.

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR BOOKSTORE FINANCES COURSE ON MARCH 10TH

Bookstore Finances

Registration opens: March 10, 2025

Course begins: April 14, 2025

Tuition: $400

Discount code: CALIBAbf

CALIBA will reimburse booksellers for completion and certification of each live course. For those auditing courses, 1/2 of the cost will be reimbursed with proof of attendance.

PROFESSIONAL BOOKSELLERS SCHOOL BOOK CLUB: READ TO LEAD

Join PBS for Read to Lead 2025! The purpose of Read To Lead is to tap into the genius of the authors we sell in our stores to improve our own work and personal environments. Each session will include three meetings; meetings will be active learning; the $100 registration price includes all three meetings and a copy of each book will be mailed out in advance.

The March 2025 session features Sourcebooks' Maura Thomas and her new book "The Happy Inbox."