A Learners' Guide to PBS Independent Study
Finding the Right Courses & Classes at the Right Time
With new options every month, how to choose where to start? Here's a helpful guide.
If you're thinking about opening a bookstore, try:
Basic Bookselling Course - a 9 session introduction to the world of bookstores. Learn industry businesses and terms, how to create shelftalkers and displays, handselling, children's books, customer service, bookstore finances, and more. We have two options:
Self-Guided - move through the recorded classes at your own pace. $100
Certification - work with an Independent Study Dean or Instructor, do the homework, and gain PBS certification. $125
Basic Bookselling Tools & Services - this stand alone class from the course introduces you to the players and vocabulary of the world of Independent Bookselling. $65
Bookstore Financial Literacy Bundle - three mini-classes from Bookstore Finances Dean Candice Huber to help you understand how finances work in bookstores. $150
If you've recently opened a bookstore and want to save yourself time, money, and struggle by learning from the best, try:
The Power of Ingram - learn to navigate Ingram's ordering system to increase how quickly the books arrive while decreasing shipping costs. $65
Frontlist Buying Through Edelweiss - learn to improve discounts and margins by shifting frontlist buying directly to publishers. $65
Fundamental Tools & Services Bundle - this set of 5 classes from 3 different courses will get you on solid footing. Learn about: Bookseller Tools & Services; The Power of Ingram; Frontlist Buying through Edelweiss; Restocking, Events, and Pubeasy; Basics of Bookstore Finance plus Batch. $250
Store Systems - let us help you you get daily/weekly/monthly tasks organized so they can run smoothly and you can free up time for bigger projects. $65
Staff Handbook - create this vital document to share your store's guidelines and values with employees. $65
Store Fundamentals: Vital Documents Bundle - this set of 3 classes from Store & Operations Management will get your store off to a solid start: Staff Handbook; Defining Your Store; Emergency Preparedness. $150
If you're ready to improve your buying to save time and increase margins, try:
The Power of Ingram - learn to navigate Ingram's ordering system to increase how quickly the books arrive while decreasing shipping costs. $65
Frontlist Buying Through Edelweiss - learn to improve discounts and margins by shifting frontlist buying directly to publishers. $65
Special Orders Bundle - These two classes will you build a solid system for processing special orders and getting the books your customers want into their hands as quickly as possible. $100
Restocking, Events, and Pubeasy - You can’t perpetually carry every book you’ve ever stocked. How do you decide what to restock and what to let go? How do you decide whether to restock through a wholesaler or the publisher? $65
If your store has been open a few years and you finally have time and attention for planning ahead, try:
Publicity Kit & Pitch - learn to build a document that highlights your store's personality and strengths, and then use it to do outreach to publicists, press, and community partners to bring in the authors you want and build stronger relationships. $65
Emergency Preparedness - Broken pipes, horrible storms, internet down? Things go wrong, and this class will help you create an Emergency Plan for your bookstore, including a plan to ensure all staff are trained and ready for potential emergencies. $65
If you'd looking for options for staff training, try:
Handselling Children's Books - Handselling children's books is a special skill, as you have to balance between young readers and their parents or grandparents. And there are so many formats - picture books, board books, bath books, emergent readers, early readers, chapter books, graphic novels, and more. This class from Basic Bookselling is taught by Heather Hebert, second-generation bookstore owner from Children's Book World in Haverford, PA. $65
Basic Bookselling Course Subscription - purchase access to our Basic Bookselling Course for unlimited staff members for one full year. Your staff members can view the entire course on their own, or you can choose a topic for staff training by watching the video together and then discussing what you've learned. $350.