Spring Road Trip 2026

Come together with fellow booksellers, industry partners, & authors!

Monday, May 11, 2026 to Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Lincoln, Nebraska

MIBA Spring Road Trip May 12 & 13th
A gathering of indie booksellers, industry partners, and authors.

Join us in learning about and celebrating creativity and community across our MIBA membership.

Overview

MIBA is thrilled to invite you to Spring Road Trip 2026 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Lincoln has earned a reputation as one of the Midwest’s most beloved cities. Home to fine culinary and artistic treasures; a thriving independent bookstore scene; breathtaking parks, and a friendly Midwestern attitude.

Our Spring Road Trip is a unique opportunity to network between booksellers, industry staff, and authors in an intimate setting while enjoying the uniqueness of Lincoln. Attendees will experience author talks, rep picks, idea-sharing, education sessions, a bookstore tour, and peer-to-peer support for booksellers and for industry professionals.

Who should attend?

Booksellers of all roles in the store and of all experience levels - Owners, managers, and frontline sellers; new and veteran. There will be something for everyone.
Industry partners - We will have idea-sharing and educational sessions for and with industry partners, not just booksellers. We are working closely with our industry partners to co-create education, title discovery opportunities, and author visits. A full slate of sponsorship and author placement opportunities is here, but please don't hesitate to be in touch with ideas.
Attendee registration deadline is Friday, April 3, 2026.

Where are we meeting?

We'll be gathering at the historic Nebraska Union, located within the University Nebraska. A quick 5 minute drive or 12-15 minute walk from the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, this hub of activity will be the backdrop for our conference.

Nebraska Union
- 1400 R Street
  Lincoln, NE 68588

Which authors are attending?

To be announced!

Lodging

We are offering a room block at The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel (333 S 13th St, Lincoln, NE 68508). Use the link below to book your room today!

Book here
$109/night
Deadline to book is April 20, 2026

Bookseller Travel Scholarships

MIBA is committed to making as many scholarships available as the sponsorships allow, in addition to funding one.

Apply here by Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Agenda

May 11
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM	Monk & Robot: A Cozy Book Adventure A FREE event offered by Blanket Fort Gatherings! Sign-up here. Step inside the world of Becky Chambers' beloved duology. We'll play an original Monk & Robot-inspired game, connect with fellow book lovers, and still be in bed by 10pm. Garrat Room Lincoln Marriot Cornhusker Hotel 333 S 13th St. Lincoln, NE 68508
May 12
8:15 AM - 8:45 AM	Bus Tour Check-in & Registration Meet us in the hotel lobby to get your name badge and find your spot on the tour bus. Lincoln Marriot Cornhusker Hotel 333 S 13th St. Lincoln, NE 68508
8:45 AM - 2:30 PM	Bookstore Tour Featuring Author Kody Keplinger Spring Road Trip begins with a bus tour visiting 6 indie bookstores and time for lunch. Kody Keplinger will be on the tour with us! We'll get into her upcoming Scholastic YA book: Where Lost Girls Go. If you love seeing how other bookstores do things and want to share the ride with a New York Times bestselling author this add-on experience is for you!
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM	Registration Pick up your name badge, grab your goody bag and University of Nebraska Press tote, and check out our digs for the next couple of days. Nebraska Union 1400 R St Lincoln, NE 68588
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM	Welcome We'll gather in the Swanson Auditorium to kickoff our Spring Road Trip programming with an introduction to the event and a few opening remarks. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM	Opening Keynote Mathilda Zeller & Alysandra Dutton in conversation on their upcoming books: It Looks Like You in the Dark and The Stolen Women. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM	Break Hit the quiet room, have a chat, grab a refreshment, take a walk, close your eyes, whatever you need!
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM	The Lives of Immigrants and Refugees Panel Editors and essayists who created The Lives of Immigrants and Refugees: Tales of Migration, Hope, Grief, and Finding Home in Nebaska from University of Nebraska Press. We'll hear the interesting account of how the book came together and powerful personal stories. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM	Author Signings and Exhibitor Tabling All the writers from the day will be on hand to sign galleys. Exhibitors will be at their tables to chat with booksellers. Swanson Auditorium and Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM	Opening Night Reception Sponsored by University of Nebraska Press Join us to celebrate being together in lovely Lincoln! We'll have bites and beverages before you head out to dinner or hit the sack. Salt 801 R St #100 Lincoln, NE 68508
May 13
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM	Morning Coffee and Exhibitor Tabling Grab a coffee! Exhibitors will be at their tables to chat with booksellers. Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM	MIBA Bookseller of the Year Announcement Let's celebrate and honor 2026's Bookseller of the Year! Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
9:20 AM - 10:15 AM	Cooperative Advertising aka Co-Op What is it? Did someone say free money? How can bookstores maximize on it? Tory Hall, MIBA Board Member and owner of Sower Books, will answer these questions and more. Followed by a bookseller Q and A. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM	Exhibitor Tabling Visit the exhibitor tables, have a chat, take a little break. Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM	Ideas That Work for Booksellers Ideas that Work is a facilitated, but attendee-driven, program where people share tips, tricks, ideas, that have benefitted them and could be replicable; then they break out into smaller groups to discuss further. The topics include: Pre-order campaigns Ideas that didn’t work and their lessons Hidden Resources Industry Updates Heritage Room, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
10:45 AM - 12:15 PM	Ideas That Work for Industry Members Ideas that Work is a facilitated, but attendee-driven, program where people share tips, tricks, ideas. A MIBA Industry Board Member will lead Industry Professionals through Ideas That Work. ABA's Antitrust Guidelines must be followed. Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM	Rep/Industry Picks Lunch MIBA provides the lunch. Reps and exhibitors provide the content. What will you order next? Heritage Room, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM	Exhibitor Tabling Visit the exhibitor tables, have a chat, take a little break. Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM	Author Round Robin sponsored by Sourcebooks Casey Sherman - The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright, Sourcebooks Ali Novak - In a Heartbeat, Sourcebooks Fire Rowan Beaird - Tenderness, Flatiron Renee Gilmore - Wayfinding: A Memoir, Trio House Peyton June - The Monsters We Made, W.W. Norton Courtney Kocak - Girl Gone Wild, Trio House Naomi Kritzer - Obstetrix, Tor Laura Moriarty - Sunlight Finds You, Penguin Random House Julie Murphy - Vera Stein is Fine, HarperCollins Sierra Simone - Devil, Bloom
3:40 PM - 4:30 PM	Marketing on a Shoestring Budget Ryvre Hardrick, MIBA Board Member and owner of Goblin Market, will walk us through creative strategies and tactics for low- and no-budget marketing. Followed by a bookseller Q and A. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM	Closing Keynote Two National Book Award finalists, Deesha Philyaw and Bonnie Jo Campbell close the Spring Road Trip sharing their upcoming books: True Confessions of First Lady Freeman and The Spirits. Swanson Auditorium, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM	Author Signings and Exhibitor Tabling All the writers from the day will be on hand to sign galleys. Exhibitors will be at their tables to chat with booksellers. Swanson Auditorium and Regency Suite, 2nd Floor Nebraska Union
5:30 PM - 5:30 PM	End of Spring Road Trip 2025 Thank you for being with us and please get home safely!

Registration Options

Registration Options	Credits	Price
Industry member registration Lincoln, NE May 12-13, 2026 Registration fee includes access to all programming and multiple meals. Registration Ended 4/3/26 at 11:59 PM CDT		$50.00
Publisher-Sponsored Author We're so glad to have you! Registration fee includes access to all programming and multiple meals. Visit the Event Page for all the details. Registration Ends 5/2/26 at 5:00 PM CDT		FREE
MIBA Member Author/Illustrator Lincoln, NE May 12-13, 2026 Registration fee includes access to all author and education programming (including free galleys), and multiple meals. Registration Ended 4/3/26 at 11:59 PM CDT		$50.00

Product Add-ons

Add-ons	Price
2026 Spring Road Trip Bookstore Tour View Product	$30.00
Spring Road Trip Exhibitor Table View Product	$100.00
Spring Road Trip Tote Bag Insert View Product	$150.00
Spring Road Trip Galley Room Placement View Product	$150.00

For More Information:

Grace Hagen

Executive Director Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (612)217-4875

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