Financial help is available for your store and your booksellers! See below for information on emergency assistance from Binc, bookseller scholarship opportunities, and how to get reimbursed for education and travel expenses.
2023 FallCon Travel & Lodging Reimbursements
With the generous sponsorship of Scholastic Inc. for FallCon 2023, we are delighted to be able to offer reimbursements to our bookstore members to help mitigate the costs of attending FallCon 2023.
- Bookstores qualifying for travel assistance, can request reimbursement to cover a portion of their hotel and transportation expenses (mileage, bus fare, plane fare, parking, etc.).
- To qualify for a Travel & Lodging Reimbursement your store must be an MPIBA member bookstore in good standing that is located more than 30 miles from the event location in Denver, CO.
- Show attendees will receive a link to a Reimbursement Request form after FallCon 2023. Reimbursements may be requested through October 31, 2023.
REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNTS:
- $75 for bookstores with one person attending
- $100 for bookstores with two people attending
- $125 for bookstores with three or more people attending
Joyce Meskis Excellence in Bookselling Scholarship
The Joyce Meskis Excellence in Bookselling Scholarship Program, founded in July 2023 by Joyce Meskis’s family with an initial funding donation from the Meskis estate, will create opportunities for booksellers to gain expertise and seek long term careers in the book industry.
Joyce Meskis had a profound impact on the bookselling industry. Her leadership as the owner of the Tattered Cover Book Store established one of the most iconic independent bookstores. In the late 1970s she helped establish the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association and served as the first president of the board of directors. In 2007, when she was named Director of the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute, she was quoted as saying, “In my youth, I set a course to become a teacher but happily got sidetracked into the book industry. Now I can blend these two passions.” Throughout her long career Joyce Meskis inspired and mentored countless people in the bookselling and publishing industries. She was also a passionate defender of free speech and the First Amendment.
The program offers scholarships to MPIBA member bookstores to attend the FallCon Trade Show & Conference and the SpringCon Conference. These events provide valuable bookselling education, professional development, and networking opportunities.
Scholarships Include:
- Airfare or other travel related expense reimbursement (mileage, car service, bus fare, etc.).
- MPIBA will purchase a flight or reimburse expenses with proof of expense.
- Mileage reimbursement cannot exceed cost of flight.
- Hotel room for three nights at the conference hotel.
- Tickets to all FallCon events (meals included).
- $50 per day ($150) additional spending stipend.
Qualifying Criteria:
- Applicants must own or work for an MPIBA member bookstore in good standing, with dues current.
- Scholarship is not open to stores enjoying “first year free dues” membership.
- If applicable, applicants must have store owner/manager approval to apply, and must be able to attend the show.
- One scholarship per store per year.
- JMEB scholarship cannot be combined with any other scholarships, grants, or reimbursements for the store, during the same fiscal year.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023
Blue Willow – Vener Barnes First-time FallCon Attendee Scholarship
This scholarship offered to a fall trade show and conference first-time FallCon attendee is funded by Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas, in honor of her father and bookselling inspiration, Vener Barnes.
- The scholarship is for $500 to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
- 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.
- One recipient will be drawn randomly from all qualified applicants.
- Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023
Binc Frontline Bookseller FallCon Education Scholarships
- The scholarships are up to $250 each to encourage bookseller attendance at education and networking events.
- The scholarships are $250 each to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
- The applicant’s bookstore must be an MPIBA member in good standing.
- The applicant must be a regular part-time or full-time employee of the bookstore.
- Please only apply if you are able to travel to the event, and have permission from your store owner or manager to attend FallCon.
- Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023
HarperCollins FallCon 2023 Travel Grants
With generous sponsorship from our friends at HarperCollins, we are delighted to offer four travel grants to attend the show.
- The grants $250 each to help with room, board, and travel expenses.
- The applicant’s bookstore must be an MPIBA member in good standing.
- 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.
- Bookstores will be reimbursed for expenses upon receipt of documentation.
Deadline to Apply: August 25, 2023
Macmillan Booksellers Professional Development Scholarships
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is an essential resource in times of crisis. They can help find relief for bookstores and booksellers. Many resources and opportunities for assistance can be found here.