SIBA is always appreciative and welcoming of funds to support our booksellers, to provide travel assistance and education, including DEI training.  In 2022, because of our generous sponsors, SIBA was able to provide scholarship funding for every bookseller who requested assistance. We hope to do the same in 2023, and we’re reaching out to our publisher and author friends to consider donations and sponsorships to make this possible. No amount is too small, every donation makes a difference!

Booksellers tell us that  opportunities to connect with other booksellers outside their store,  attend conferences and pursue further education, are life-changing; these opportunities make huge differences in how a store runs, thrives, innovates, and retains staff.  

How you can Make a Difference:

1. Support Professional Development: In 2022, SIBA established the Wanda Jewell Scholarship for Professional Development. This scholarship is in honor of SIBA’s much-beloved former Executive Director, who retired in 2020. This scholarship is author-funded, and provides financial support for booksellers through education and networking at in-person SIBA-sponsored events. The Friends & Fiction authors-Mary Kay Andrews, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Kristin Harmel and Patti Callahan Henry-stepped forward to provide 2022 funding. We are seeking author funding for 2023. Anyone wishing to make a donation in honor of Wanda Jewell may do so here. 

If you’d like to make a large donation, on behalf of several authors, or on your own, we can work out more details. Contact lindamarie@sibaweb.com.

2. Support DEI Education and Training: SIBA is committed to Anti-Racism and an important  aspect of this commitment is DEI training for SIBA staff, board, and booksellers. SIBA also hosts an annual 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge for our membership and others in our industry. This year’s Challenge begins on Feb 6.  SIBA welcomes funds to support these initiatives through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Fund. Please consider supporting this important work. Link to donate here. We would love to highlight you as a sponsor!