Wi2024: Bookstore Resilience: Stories from Venerable Booksellers

Nearly half of small businesses fail within the first five years, and only 25% make it to 15 years or more - and bookselling can be a particularly tough industry to crack. This makes it all the more impressive when a bookstore manages multiple decades in business, with no sign of stopping. This panel features five indomitable booksellers with more than 100 years of combined bookselling experience. They will share their stories and the ups and downs of their careers in bookselling, what motivates them to keep going, and their hopes for the future of the industry. Come learn from our bookselling veterans! Speakers Kris Kleindienst, Left Bank Books - St. Louis, MO Janet Jones, Source Booksellers LLC - Detroit, MI Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Company - Seattle, WA Brein Lopez, Children's Book World - Los Angeles, CA Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video and Books - Washington, DC Files & Links Video Recording Slide Deck Recorded February 14, 2024 at Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati, OH Additional bookstore education resources can be found at www.bookweb.org.     Theme song by Constant Companion