Financial Assistance for Booksellers

We know budgets are tight and stores and booksellers aren’t always able to take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities available in our industry. And sometimes booksellers just need some help with personal or store-related emergencies. Financial help is available! See below for all the opportunities, and apply now!

Give a Bookseller a Lift Travel Grants

GABAL Grants are awarded to booksellers across our region to help with travel expenses attending MPIBA Programs. Coming up next: SpringCon 2020 in Texas and in Colorado.

To qualify for a GABAL Travel Grant you must currently work for an MPIBA member bookstore in good standing that is located more than 50 miles from the event location. Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and if applicable, have permission from your store owner or manager to attend the program. Travel Grant winners will be drawn randomly from all qualified applicants and will be contacted in advance of the program. Recipients will not be eligible to receive another Travel Grant for five years.

Congratulations to our 2019 GABAL FallCon Grant Recipients:

Dallas Bell – Burrowing Owl Books,Canyon, TX

Sabrina Caldwell – The Book Haus, New Braunfels, TX

Anne Holman – The King’s English, Salt Lake City, UT

Sara Knight – Maria’s Bookshop, Durango, CO

Roger Mullins – Bliss Books & Bindery, Stillwater, OK

Cristina Rodriguez – Deep Vellum Books, Dallas, TX

Sarah Schonert – Downtown Books, Craig, CO

Lila Ann Weller – Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City, UT

We want to thank our good friends at Binc for funding one GABAL travel grant each year.

Blue Willow – Vener Barnes Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship to attend the fall trade show and conference is offered by Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas, in honor of her father and bookselling inspiration, Vener Barnes.

The $500 grant is open to any owner or bookseller from an MPIBA member store in good standing, who has never attended the MPIBA fall trade show and conference. Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and if applicable, have permission from your store owner or manager to attend FallCon. The grant winner will be drawn randomly from all qualified applicants and will be announced in early September – approximately six weeks before FallCon.

Congratulations to our 2019 Grant Recipient:

Evan Schertz – Maria’s Bookshop, Durango, CO

Think Binc any time you’re in need! Find many resources and opportunities for assistance here.

$500 Macmillan Diversity Scholarship (Fall trade show travel assistance):

Higher Education & Professional Development Scholarships:

Emergency Financial Assistance: