Committees

Committee Structure

Here's a link to the information we shared with the booksellers (scroll past the fold), so re-read that page to get acquainted with where they are.

Chair: John Christensen
The Programming Committee will convene three times per year to:

The Programming Committee will consist of:

at least one board member
the director of operations (aka, HFF coordinator)
booksellers representing a range of MIBA member stores, with a focus on stores that attend WI, BEA, and HFF
other members as necessary, for a term of two years

Committee Members

Meeting Schedule

Suggested starting points for the committee chair

Official HFF education committee. MIBA needs two people on the HFF education committee, so John should ask one bookseller to join him. The goal is to have the education far enough along to post to the website by the end of June (ie, names and sessions selected, and panelists if available).
Education generally. We suggest sharing the education ideas with the entire MIBA committee. That way, the bookseller on the HFF committee can represent our entire programming committee's ideas.

Chair: David Enyeart
The Engagement Committee will convene three times per year to:

review member and nonmember stores and publishers; reach out to non-members (targeted lists will be supplied)
help mentor new members or connect them with mentors
address questions of diversity and inclusivity
gauge member satisfaction and review feedback and ideas

The Engagement Committee will consist of:

at least one board member
the executive director
booksellers representing a range of member stores – maybe someone from each state

other members as necessary, for a term of two years

Committee Members

Meeting Schedule

Suggested starting points for the committee chair

Reach out to nonmember stores. Share current and prospective member list to pinpoint non-member stores we'd like to join MIBA
New booksellers. Divide up the provisional bookstore list (provisional = people in all stages of opening a new store) and contact each new bookseller. Ask the committee to volunteer to shepherd new people through their questions about opening a bookstore (this might require a few phone calls).
Resources for new booksellers. Become well informed about the best industry resources available to new booksellers.
Representation. DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is a topic we'd like this committee to consider. This will likely be a special project for sometime down the road as the board makes recommendations in this area.

Chair: Kate Rattenborg
The Title and Author Committee will convene three times per year to:

The Title and Author Committee will consist of:

Committee Members

Suggested starting points for the committee chair

Heartland authors. Ask booksellers which authors they would love to see at Heartland. Due June 22.
Heartland authors don't have to be regional. If they aren't, the book should be an indie-friendly title that indies will get behind. If the author is regional, that's great and makes a more obvious case for us asking for them to be at the show.
Catalog titles. Ask booksellers to send us titles that would work well for them in the winter catalog. Due date June 29.
Books included in the catalog should be innately giftable. We want a mix of adult, kids, fiction, nonfiction, regional, and national titles. Spring 2018 through November 1, 2018 is the acceptable pub range.
Midwest Connections. Send us title recommendations all throughout the year. Books need to either have Midwestern content, or an author who is from the Midwest. Our states includes: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, and the upper peninsula of MI.