About IBC
The Independent Booksellers Consortium, Inc, is a self-funded organization that works to improve the business operations of its members by creating education and networking opportunities, providing a forum for members to crowdsource solutions to challenges within the industry, and generating savings for its members by sharing costs on specific operational services. Its primary function is to facilitate conversations among its members by organizing two yearly in-person meetings, recurring virtual meetings, and ongoing discussions over email. The information shared during IBC's programs and gatherings remains confidential in order to foster an environment of trust between its members.
IBC currently consists of 28 brick and mortar bookstore companies (view our home page for a list of current members) with 69 combined locations throughout the U.S. and a combined 1,450 years of business experience. IBC's operations, agendas, policies, and procedures are overseen by a board of directors and IBC's Executive Director, Robert Martin (he/him/his, [email protected]).
IBC currently consists of 28 brick and mortar bookstore companies (view our home page for a list of current members) with 69 combined locations throughout the U.S. and a combined 1,450 years of business experience. IBC's operations, agendas, policies, and procedures are overseen by a board of directors and IBC's Executive Director, Robert Martin (he/him/his, [email protected]).
core values
The following values inform and motivate every aspect of the Independent Booksellers Consortium’s operation:
- Independent bookstores can and should be profitable businesses.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion are vital to the long-term health and success of the book industry.
- Independent bookstores are integral to their local economies and workforces.
- Independent bookstores are integral to their local cultures and communities.
- Independent bookselling is most successful as part of a collaborative network of independent businesses.
- High standards of professional competence, conduct, and ethics are essential to the success of independent bookselling.
Mission statement
IBC’s mission is to improve the business operations of its member bookstores by 1) sharing best practices among members, 2) exploring potential new business strategies, 3) working with industry partners to strengthen the retail bookselling market, and 4) improving diversity, equity, and inclusivity in retail bookselling.
vision statement
IBC envisions a thriving community of independent bookstores that, through idea sharing and rapid prototyping of new ideas, contributes toward establishing a sustainable, profitable, and diverse, equitable, and inclusive business model.
History of IBC
IBC was founded in 1993 as a remainders buying collective. Its founding members were:
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* indicates current member
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Almost immediately upon collaborating, these stores stumbled upon an unexpected benefit of working together: conversations about issues in their operations, sharing ideas, and brainstorming solutions to common problems. The remainder buying continued for several years and was the primary focus of the group. As such, new members who were invited to join were asked to make a sizable financial investment in IBC's operations. This both ensured that inventory could be purchased at the necessary scale and also guaranteed that companies who joined were operating at a level that could sustain the needs of IBC's model. But as more stores were invited to join the consortium, the idea-sharing component of their meetings emerged as an invaluable resource for everyone involved.
Participants noticed that too many voices around a table became counterproductive, and the consortium adopted a policy of limiting membership so conversations could maintain their usefulness. New members were generally only invited when some stores left the group. As IBC's focus shifted from group purchasing to idea sharing, its invitation process shifted to a system that prioritized mutual support amongst members.
In the late 1990s, the remainder buying aspect proved unsustainable, but the value of sharing ideas persists. IBC continues to evolve and find new ways to provide value to its members.
Participants noticed that too many voices around a table became counterproductive, and the consortium adopted a policy of limiting membership so conversations could maintain their usefulness. New members were generally only invited when some stores left the group. As IBC's focus shifted from group purchasing to idea sharing, its invitation process shifted to a system that prioritized mutual support amongst members.
In the late 1990s, the remainder buying aspect proved unsustainable, but the value of sharing ideas persists. IBC continues to evolve and find new ways to provide value to its members.
For more information about IBC, check our Frequently Asked Questions page or reach out to IBC's Executive Director, Robert Martin, at [email protected].