PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 by Kathryn Sparks, Senior Editor, American Academy of Pediatrics — Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt spoke with IBPA leaders at IBPA Publishing University 2021 about bookstore curation, DEI, print on demand, and more. On April 8, 2021, IBPA Publishing University kicked off with an informative and exciting conversation between IBPA Board …

PUBLISHED JULY/AUGUST 2021 interview by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — Dr. Artika R. Tyner, founder of Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore, speaks on organic partnerships, what it means to be community focused, and the importance of having a vision and goals. How did Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore …

PUBLISHED JULY/AUGUST 2021 by Karen Pavlicin, Publisher, Elva Resa Publishing — More about the association-wide integration and launch of IBPA’s DEI Committee. Over the past year, the IBPA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force—under the direction of the IBPA Board of Directors and informed by DEI professionals and IBPA members—established and implemented the first …

PUBLISHED JULY/AUGUST 2021 by Deb Vanasse, Reporter, IBPA Independent magazine — Book Publishers can enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts by taking time to form meaningful DEI partnerships and collaborations. Synopsis: Publishers should create a plan that articulates short-term and long-term DEI goals, and a means for tracking progress. Hiring a DEI consultant might …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 by Brooke Warner and Stephanie Carter — IBPA has launched a resource center that lists information for advancing DEI initiatives within the independent book publishing community. As part of its commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within its membership, leadership, policies, practices, and publications, IBPA has launched an online resource …

PUBLISHED MAY/JUNE 2021 interview by Alexa Schlosser, Managing Editor, IBPA Independent magazine — Jelani Memory’s “A Kids Book About” series takes a direct approach to publishing, both in terms of its distribution model and the tough topics it covers. Jelani Memory initially thought he’d only print one copy of the book he wrote for his …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Angela Bole, CEO, Independent Book Publishers Association — Read below for details on what this new partnership entails. A single organization alone can’t resolve all the issues affecting its community, but with the help of partnerships, an organization can make a substantial difference across multiple fronts. That’s why IBPA is so …

PUBLISHED MARCH/APRIL 2021 by Kelly Peterson, Director of Digital Strategy, Independent Publishers Group Read below for tips on how to incorporate DEI training into your organization. I don’t think anyone made it out of 2020 without confronting the racial divide in America. Whether it was football players kneeling during the anthem, George Floyd’s murder dominating …

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 by Karen Pavlicin, Publisher, Elva Resa Publishing — Enabling positive, actionable, systemic change. IBPA’s 2020-2022 Strategic Plan, developed by the IBPA Board of Directors in August 2019, includes the strategic goal of eliminating bias and enhancing diversity within the association. To help reach this goal, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task …

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 by Kathy Strahs, Founder, Burnt Cheese Press — How Burnt Cheese Press founder embraced baking as an opportunity to make a positive difference. “Cooking and baking is physical and mental therapy.” —Mary Berry At one point, early in quarantine when pantry staples were running scarce, I procured a 50-pound bag of flour …