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 is a Professional Booksellers School Supporting Investor, which means PNBA Bookstore Members (and their employees) are eligible for discounts when registering for PBS certification courses. Discount codes must be provided at the time of registration at the time of an active PNBA Membership and cannot be used retroactively, so please become a PNBA Member today and use PNBA’s discount code to save:

Full Professor - 12% Discount on all courses
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Additionally, PNBA will match that discount for course completion involving certifications with the submission of a PBS Grant Request below and proof of certification. Reimbursement credits may not be issued to individuals, but must go to their employing member stores.
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Coming Spring 2026: 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
               (Registration opens Monday, October 20, 2025 at 10:00 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 to watch, 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, but PBS will be offering Bookstore Year One at two discount options this year:
          One upfront payment of $500 or
          Two payments of $275 (total: $550)

PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAind

​Registration for this course is active as of October 20, 2025.
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Event Management, Live Courses

Mark your Calendar: The Next Live Course will begin Monday, January 26, 2026
              (Registration opens Monday, November 10, 2025 at 10:00 am PT)
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Previous information: 
January 13, 2025 - June 16, 2025, 16 classes at 5:00 pm PT + office hours
                
Learn how to develop a successful store events program over 16 live classes, covering:
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  • 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.

PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
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​Registration for this course will be active November 11, 2025.
Inventory Management, Live Courses

Mark your Calendar: The Next Live Course will begin Wednesday, January 14, 2026
              (Registration opens Monday, November 17, 2025 at 10:00 am PT)

​Previous Information:
January 15, 2025 - May 7, 2025, 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:
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  • 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.

PNBA Member Discount Code: PNBAlive
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​Registration for this course will be active November 17, 2025.
Basic Bookselling, Live Courses (Independent Study Available!)

Mark your Calendar: The Next Live Course will begin March 10, 2026
              (Registration opens Monday, January 12, 2026 at 10:00 am PT)

​Previous information: 
March 4, 2025 - May 7, 2025, 10 classes at 4:00 pm PT + office hours
              (Registration Opens Monday, January 6, 2025 at 10:00 am PT)

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: 
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  • 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.

PNBA Member ​Discount Code: PNBAlive
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​​More 2026 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 12, 2026!
Store & Operations Management, Live Courses

Mark your Calendar: The Next Live Course will begin Thursday, March 12, 2026
              (Registration opens Monday, January 12, 2026 at 10:00 am PT)

​Previous Information from 2025:
March 13, 2025 - June 19, 2025, 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: 
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  • 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.

PNBA Member ​Discount Code: PNBAlive

​​More 2026 information coming soon from PBS, registration opens January 12, 2026!
Independent Study

New in 2024! 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
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​Previous Information:
April 14th, 2025 - July 21, 2025: 1:30 pm PT
                 (Registration Opens Monday, March 10, 2025 at 10:00 am PT)

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.

​​PNBA Member ​Discount Code: PNBAlive

Information on Basic Bookselling and Bookstore Finances coming soon from PBS!