On Friday, January 25, American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher joined past ABA presidents Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois; Betsy Burton of The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah; Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida; Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona; and Michael Tucker of Books Inc. in San Francisco, California, in conversation at Winter Institute 14 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Teicher began the conversation by asking each of the former presidents to share what about the industry has changed most since they opened their store, as well as what they know now that they would've told themselves when they began their bookselling careers. Each of the presidents onstage agreed that technology has been the most significant change in their careers.
Shanks said that when she opened her store in 1974, there was no such thing as buying online or the Internet. As her store grew from a tiny store to a bigger one, dealing with technology became more and more important.
And what he wished he had known when he first started bookselling? "Always remember: Lift with your knees. Some things don't change," he said.
Anderson also noted how technology has changed her store, specifically Google Analytics. "I also think what's being published has changed tremendously, but also the consolidation within the industry. Some of it's good and some of it's not so good. When we're thinking of the consolidation of wholesalers, that's kind of scary," she added.
"One of the things I would tell anybody who's opening a bookstore now would be to please take time for your own life. Leave it at work," Anderson advised, but noted she knows how difficult that can be.
Teicher then asked everyone on stage to share their feelings on the bookselling industry's relationship with publishers, which has fluctuated over the years.
When she has to choose between stocking tea towels, socks, or fast-selling non-book merchandise instead of another case of books, Shanks said she feels that the system isn't working. If putting out non-book items allows her to send another person to Winter Institute, she said, she is worried.
The best memories, he continued, were ones of working together and seeing how unselfish everyone was.
During that time, he learned more about the interests of the trade, he added, and booksellers requested panels on ownership succession. "The number of stores in the last three years that have been able to turn over ownership successfully, to me, is brilliant," he said.
Kaplan said that two specific events stood out to him, including the first signing event he ever hosted, which was with Isaac Singer, and a reading at the Miami Book Fair with Czesław Miłosz.
At the time of Singer's signing, Books & Books was only 500 square feet, which was not enough room for the number of people who wanted to get a signed book. So, Singer invited Kaplan to stop by his apartment in Miami Beach to have the books signed, and Kaplan spent about five hours with Singer watching him sign books and listening to him tell stories.
Shanks shared a story about Terry Tempest Williams recognizing an old high school teacher during one of her readings and stopping to go hug her, and Tucker recounted the time Dave Eggers and Daniel Handler came to his store for a Giraffes? Giraffes! event.
Teicher ended the session by asking each panelist what advice they would give to booksellers. Burton recommended that new booksellers participate in ABA's educational sessions, and Tucker suggested that booksellers always reach out to fellow booksellers with questions. Anderson noted the importance of using books as a bridge to their community and to connect with others. Kaplan told booksellers that if they're looking to open up a store, they should always buy the building so they don't get pushed out by rent increases.