Monday Morning Coffee Recap

Dear Friends, 

The first thing we want to say this morning is that everyone here at SIBA is hoping that our bookstores and booksellers affected by the storm are safe.  

The next thing we have to say is: Binc. If you are a bookseller who has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, Binc can help.  If you know someone who has been affected, then you can help Binc to help them by donating.

Apply online (mobile friendly form) | Email Binc | Call: 866.733.9064 | Donate

Normally, our Monday morning email is meant to be a cheerful reminder of information in last week’s newsletter that you may have missed. But between last week and today Hurricane Helene tore through SIBA territory with devastating effect.

SIBA’s executive director Linda-Marie Barrett, who usually writes this email, is based in Asheville, North Carolina. We’re happy to report that she and her family came through the storm safely, but like most of the people in her area, she is without power or cell service, and basic supplies are hard to obtain. About 200 SIBA bookstores were in the path of the storm, many of which have owners and staff now facing the same struggles as the people of Asheville. If you need support or want to offer support, Binc should be your first call.

SIBA is reaching out to stores in areas affected by the hurricane. If you need to reach SIBA this week contact the office at siba@sibaweb.com. Responses to queries sent to Linda-Marie will be delayed, but you can also find direct contact info for any of the SIBA staff and board on our website.

If you didn’t see last week’s newsletter, there are two very important items we don’t want you to miss:

• SIBA Booksellers October Checklist:  A list of things to do and things not to miss this month, including marketing assets for the holiday catalogs, the NVNR Owners Retreat on October 17 at 6:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM CT, SIBA’s Annual Meeting on October 23 at 4:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM CT, and the announcement of the 2025 Southern Book Prize finalists.

• Read This Next! October: The books on the October Read This Next! list range from legends to the legendary, and from homey to horror. "The perfect book(s) to distract you from real life." (Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads, Summerville, South Carolina). Bookseller  Resources are available, including a flyer and Edelweiss collection. Read what SIBA Booksellers have to say.

As always, please let us know if you have questions, want to offer suggestions, or just say hello. We’re here for you!