Heartland Fall Forum: Growth and Milestones

At Heartland Fall Forum this week, an incredible trend of growth emerged as the common theme between both regional cohorts, with executive director Carrie Obry citing MIBA membership at a high of 321 this year and executive director Larry Law noting that GLIBA membership is at 353, with new stores opening regularly. Law added, "I think that shows the quality of work that the board does, the quality of bookstores that are opening, and the mentorship that we offer to keep these stores going."

February Spikener

At the GLIBA membership meeting, executive coordinator February Spikener opened with an original poem, one she chose after recently processing both personal and communal grief and loss, and recognizing the importance of community resilience and resistance. "Loving one another is really what sustains us when the world collapses around us," she said, thoughtfully introducing a piece about roaches, whom she admires for their determination to survive.

Pam French, executive director of BINC, spoke briefly about the foundation's safety-net grants, professional development, and free mental health-care programs. She also highlighted the urgent work the organization is conducting in the southeastern region of the United States, responding to 23 individuals and 11 stores who have been impacted by hurricanes. BINC also awarded the first Susan Kamil Scholarships for Emerging Writers this year to five booksellers who are aspiring writers. Details for 2025 are still being worked out, and the scholarship opportunity will continue into the future.

Gary Lovely and Janet Jones

Three GLIBA members have participated in choosing National Book Awards recipients, and two of them were on hand to speak about their experiences. Gary Lovely of Two Dollar Radio HQ, Columbus, Ohio, judged works in translation this year and remarked on his passion for "bringing literature into the Anglosphere from other parts of the world." Janet Jones of Source Booksellers, Detroit, Mich., judged the nonfiction category in 2022 and described the process as "an honor, a lot of fun, and a lot of work," pointing out that evaluation was not just a matter of what the judges liked "but what would benefit the whole country." Javier Ramirez of Exile in Bookville, Chicago, Ill., who was not present, judged the fiction category in 2019.

After heartfelt farewells to retiring board members Melissa Weisberg and Tim Smith, Law introduced new programs inspired by their contributions. The Tim Smith Educational Travel Scholarship will launch in 2025, aiming to foster mentoring partnerships between a new store and a veteran one, with both stores receiving funds to cover the cost. The other new program is the GLIBA Sabbatical Scholarship, awarded this year to both Weisberg and Smith. This scholarship will be awarded annually at Heartland to booksellers who have gone above and beyond, whether by lifting up underrepresented voices, working on censorship issues in the community, or being a mentor to fellow bookstores. Funds can be used to attend Heartland events, or for personal use to take time off. In future years, the recipient will join the board in deciding whom to award next.

Spikener handed out certificates to 11 stores celebrating milestone anniversaries this year: Bike Trail Books of Loveland, Ohio, one year; Honest Dog, Bayfield, Wis., five years; RoscoeBooks, Chicago, Ill., and Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, Ill., both celebrating 10 years; Two Dollar Radio HQ, Columbus, Ohio, 15 years; The Book Cellar, Chicago, Ill., 20 years; Loganberry Books, Shaker Heights, Ohio, 30 years; Bookies, Chicago, Ill., 35 years; Women & Children First, Chicago, Ill., 45 years; The Bookman, Grand Haven, Mich., 50 years; Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, Ill., 90 years.

Then, Smith presented the first-ever Great Lakes Bookstore of the Year Award to Lynn Mooney of Women & Children First, praising the Chicago store as "a place for all people to feel seen and supported through books, which is what we all strive to do." In accepting the award, Mooney stated, "Through it all, we stay committed to our mission to center underrepresented voices while also evolving to a more inclusive feminist future, both within our workspace and the wider world."

Next year's Heartland Fall Forum will be held October 12-16 in Indianapolis, Ind. --Dave Wheeler

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