The Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association is a wonderful resource that allows you to learn from fellow booksellers and helps you stay on top of our industry while maintaining a focus on aspects most crucial to independent bookselling the the Great Lakes Region (IN, IL, KY, MI, OH).
GLIBA works on many programs to help you improve your business, but the two most important are the Heartland Fall Forum and the Holiday Catalog. The Heartland Fall Forum is an annual trade show which is produced with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association. The show alternates location between the two regions. The HFF is a great way to exchange ideas with other booksellers in the two regions, get some great new ideas or new ways to look at your business, and to meet over 100 authors, both on the national scene and those with ties to our area. These connections can open the door to bringing authors into your stores for events.
Our Holiday Catalog is a full-color new book showcase specifically designed for stores in our region. We feature books in a variety of categories: fiction, cooking, history (great for those grandpas on your list), children's books, biographies, well you get the idea. Current members can receive up to 12,500 catalogs absolutely free, and can have them personalized for a small fee. If you insert the catalogs into local newspapers or mail them to your customers, GLIBA will reimburse up to 50% of your cost up to $400. Most members say that the catalog is hands down their best advertisement all year.
In 2013 the GLIBA board implemented a program to promote literacy named for the founding Editorial Director of the association Jim Dana. Each year booksellers can nominate a literacy program in their area to receive a $1000 grant.
In addition, GLIBA runs the annual Great Lakes Great Reads program, which recognizes bookseller-chosen favorite books, produces a weekly electronic newsletter The Broadside, and a weekly Bestsellers List based on sales on Independent Bookstores in the GLIBA region. In 2015 GLIBA began a monthly program called PageTurners to spotlight titles by authors with ties to the region or set in our territory.
GLIBA works on many programs to help you improve your business, but the two most important are the Heartland Fall Forum and the Holiday Catalog. The Heartland Fall Forum is an annual trade show which is produced with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association. The show alternates location between the two regions. The HFF is a great way to exchange ideas with other booksellers in the two regions, get some great new ideas or new ways to look at your business, and to meet over 100 authors, both on the national scene and those with ties to our area. These connections can open the door to bringing authors into your stores for events.
Our Holiday Catalog is a full-color new book showcase specifically designed for stores in our region. We feature books in a variety of categories: fiction, cooking, history (great for those grandpas on your list), children's books, biographies, well you get the idea. Current members can receive up to 12,500 catalogs absolutely free, and can have them personalized for a small fee. If you insert the catalogs into local newspapers or mail them to your customers, GLIBA will reimburse up to 50% of your cost up to $400. Most members say that the catalog is hands down their best advertisement all year.
In 2013 the GLIBA board implemented a program to promote literacy named for the founding Editorial Director of the association Jim Dana. Each year booksellers can nominate a literacy program in their area to receive a $1000 grant.
In addition, GLIBA runs the annual Great Lakes Great Reads program, which recognizes bookseller-chosen favorite books, produces a weekly electronic newsletter The Broadside, and a weekly Bestsellers List based on sales on Independent Bookstores in the GLIBA region. In 2015 GLIBA began a monthly program called PageTurners to spotlight titles by authors with ties to the region or set in our territory.
