Professional Booksellers School
The purpose of the Professional Bookseller Certification Program is to provide independent booksellers with an education, training, and accreditation process that will elevate the trade of independent bookselling, offer a standardized baseline knowledge and professional development opportunities for career booksellers, and create an opportunity for mentorship, guidance, innovation, teaching, and information sharing among book industry members.
PNBA Bookstore Members (and their employees) are eligible for a discount when registering for PBS courses. In order to limit the amount of steps involved in securing savings for members pursuing these educational endeavors, there will be no grant reimbursement. However, as a PBS sponsor, we hope our members enjoy the convenience of the increased 12% discount on all eligible courses.
Please apply your discount code (listed in bold under each course) at the time of your PBS purchase to enjoy your member savings. Discount codes must be provided at the time of registration and at the time of an active PNBA Membership--codes cannot be applied retroactively, so please become a PNBA Member today!
PNBA Bookstore Members (and their employees) are eligible for a discount when registering for PBS courses. In order to limit the amount of steps involved in securing savings for members pursuing these educational endeavors, there will be no grant reimbursement. However, as a PBS sponsor, we hope our members enjoy the convenience of the increased 12% discount on all eligible courses.
Please apply your discount code (listed in bold under each course) at the time of your PBS purchase to enjoy your member savings. Discount codes must be provided at the time of registration and at the time of an active PNBA Membership--codes cannot be applied retroactively, so please become a PNBA Member today!
Bookstore Year One
Registration is OPEN! New Live Course will begin Monday, January 26, 2026, Orientation 8:30 am PT, Class at 9:00 am PT
The goal of this course is to walk bookstore-owners through their first year to help build systems, policies and procedures that will set indie-bookstores up for success. Each month will cover a new topic, with videos and readings, then a live online discussion/Q&A with the instructors. Owners will also have a space to share ideas, chat, and ask questions outside of the live meetings. Appropriate for pop-up, mobile, pocket, and brick & mortar stores open 3 years or less, or older stores that have recently come under new ownership.
PBS is looking for owners who have moved through different store models to help with the development of this program. If you or another member can talk clearly on visions, staffing, financials, marketing, partnerships, etc, across these models, please let us know and we will be happy to forward PNBA's best & brightest applicants on to PBS.
Next year, 1000,ドル but PBS will be offering Bookstore Year One at two discount options this year:
One upfront payment of 500ドル or
Two payments of 275ドル (total: 550ドル)
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAind
Registration for this course is active as of October 20, 2025.
Registration is OPEN! New Live Course will begin Monday, January 26, 2026, Orientation 8:30 am PT, Class at 9:00 am PT
The goal of this course is to walk bookstore-owners through their first year to help build systems, policies and procedures that will set indie-bookstores up for success. Each month will cover a new topic, with videos and readings, then a live online discussion/Q&A with the instructors. Owners will also have a space to share ideas, chat, and ask questions outside of the live meetings. Appropriate for pop-up, mobile, pocket, and brick & mortar stores open 3 years or less, or older stores that have recently come under new ownership.
PBS is looking for owners who have moved through different store models to help with the development of this program. If you or another member can talk clearly on visions, staffing, financials, marketing, partnerships, etc, across these models, please let us know and we will be happy to forward PNBA's best & brightest applicants on to PBS.
Next year, 1000,ドル but PBS will be offering Bookstore Year One at two discount options this year:
One upfront payment of 500ドル or
Two payments of 275ドル (total: 550ドル)
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAind
Registration for this course is active as of October 20, 2025.
Event Management, Live Courses
Mark your calendar: the next live Event Management Course will begin January 2027. Registration will open in November, 2026.
Previous information:
January - June, 2026
16 classes at 5:00 pm PT + office hours
Learn how to develop a successful store events program over 16 live classes, covering:
Event Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
Registration for this course will be active November 2026.
Mark your calendar: the next live Event Management Course will begin January 2027. Registration will open in November, 2026.
Previous information:
January - June, 2026
16 classes at 5:00 pm PT + office hours
Learn how to develop a successful store events program over 16 live classes, covering:
- Author events: visits to schools, festivals, school book fairs, and virtual events
- Non-author events
- Event partnerships with other businesses
- Edelweiss event grid pitches
- Publicity/press kits and working with publicists.
- Collecting data to understand your store, staff, demographics, and budget
- Strategic event planning
Event Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
Registration for this course will be active November 2026.
Inventory Management, Live Courses
Mark your calendar: the live Inventory Management Course runs each year beginning in January, with registration opening in November 2026.
Previous Information:
January - May 2026
14 classes at 3:00 pm PT + office hours
Perfect for employees and owners of 1-year old bookstores, including a mobile or pop-up shop, that has 25%+ new book inventory as the skills and strategies taught in the course are designed for the new book trade, not for used-only stores. Teaches owners and/or store buyers to:
Inventory Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
Registration for this course will be active November 2026.
Mark your calendar: the live Inventory Management Course runs each year beginning in January, with registration opening in November 2026.
Previous Information:
January - May 2026
14 classes at 3:00 pm PT + office hours
Perfect for employees and owners of 1-year old bookstores, including a mobile or pop-up shop, that has 25%+ new book inventory as the skills and strategies taught in the course are designed for the new book trade, not for used-only stores. Teaches owners and/or store buyers to:
- Create buying strategies and routines to get the best discounts
- Maintain cash flow and work within budgets
- Integrate with your store’s marketing and merchandising
- Analyze and improve your buying process
Inventory Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
Registration for this course will be active November 2026.
Basic Bookselling, Live Courses (Independent Study Available!)
Mark your calendar: the next Basic Bookselling live course will be in 2027.
Previous information:
March - May
10 classes at 4:00 pm PT + office hours
Designed to welcome Independent Bookstore staff into a career in bookselling. Recommended for booksellers with a year or less experience. Teaches the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in bookselling, including:
Basic Bookselling Certification offered, cost of the course is 135ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
More 2027 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 2027!
Mark your calendar: the next Basic Bookselling live course will be in 2027.
Previous information:
March - May
10 classes at 4:00 pm PT + office hours
Designed to welcome Independent Bookstore staff into a career in bookselling. Recommended for booksellers with a year or less experience. Teaches the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in bookselling, including:
- Merchandising, hand selling, and customer service
- Creating shelf talkers, reviews, and displays that sell
- Vocabulary, finances, and job roles of bookselling
- Bookselling resources / support: BINC, Netgalley, Bookshop.org, Edelweiss, ABA and PNBA
Basic Bookselling Certification offered, cost of the course is 135ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
More 2027 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 2027!
Store & Operations Management, Live Courses
Mark your calendar: the Store & Operations Management Course runs live each spring. Registration will open in January 2027.
Previous Information:
March - June
additional time details TBA
Designed to cover all of the day-to-day and long-term operational and other business-related needs of an independent bookstore, considering both high-level management topics and the daily tasks assigned to individual booksellers. Built to help managers and owners:
Store & Operations Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
More 2027 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 2027!
Mark your calendar: the Store & Operations Management Course runs live each spring. Registration will open in January 2027.
Previous Information:
March - June
additional time details TBA
Designed to cover all of the day-to-day and long-term operational and other business-related needs of an independent bookstore, considering both high-level management topics and the daily tasks assigned to individual booksellers. Built to help managers and owners:
- Evaluate their stores
- Create a marketing plan
- Create a mission statement
- Improve budgets, staff handbooks, and emergency preparedness plans
Store & Operations Management Certification offered, cost of the course is 395ドル.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
More 2027 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 2027!
Independent Study
The Professional Booksellers School is offering Independent Study options for all of their courses. Select the classes you or your employees need and complete them within a set amount of time, depending on the course or bundle. There are individual courses for a 30-day viewing window, Basic Bookselling self-study within 3 months or certification within 4 months, or a 12 month window for an unlimited number of staff from a single store, just to describe a few examples.
The Professional Booksellers School is offering Independent Study options for all of their courses. Select the classes you or your employees need and complete them within a set amount of time, depending on the course or bundle. There are individual courses for a 30-day viewing window, Basic Bookselling self-study within 3 months or certification within 4 months, or a 12 month window for an unlimited number of staff from a single store, just to describe a few examples.
PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAind
Bookstore Finances
The Bookstore Finances Course runs live each spring. Registration will open in February 2027.
Previous Information:
April - July
Designed to educate on the day to day and long term finance-related needs of an independent bookstore. A mix of live Zoom classes, handouts, and assignments. No certification is offered for this course.
The Bookstore Finances Course runs live each spring. Registration will open in February 2027.
Previous Information:
April - July
Designed to educate on the day to day and long term finance-related needs of an independent bookstore. A mix of live Zoom classes, handouts, and assignments. No certification is offered for this course.
- Bookstore finance basics.
- Speak to accountants, bookkeepers, financial advisors, and other finance professionals.
- Improve your understanding of your store’s finances.
- Establish a financial rhythm that makes sense for you.