Review Your Emergency Contact Info

Past weather events and natural disasters have demonstrated that SIBA needs to have backup contact information in place if a crisis causes store closures and bookstore owners and managers are unreachable. In 2024, SIBA adopted a policy to maintain emergency and point-of-contact information for all bookstores in its region.

Weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and forest fires are a fact of life in the South. When they occur, SIBA will reach out to its members who have been affected to offer aid and connect them with resources that can help them survive and recover. When a community is suffering from service outages, power outages, or downed Wi-Fi and cell service, the business contact information SIBA has on file for stores may not be the best way to reach members in need.

SIBA is also frequently contacted by the press, advocacy groups, and other civic organizations for information on its member stores, especially during times of crisis or newsworthy events. Having a store point of contact, spokesperson, or press liaison will allow SIBA to direct queries to the person authorized to answer questions.

SIBA invites bookstores to review their authorized emergency and point-of-contact information in their SIBA account profile. Before the end of the month, every SIBA bookstore will also receive an email with a direct link to updated emergency contact information in their profile.

What emergency contact information will be used for:

• To direct queries to the store's own designated spokesperson
• For SIBA to ascertain the status and safety of its members during an emergency
• As potential store contact information for authorized relief agencies and organizations, such as the Book Industry Charitable Foundation or the American Booksellers Association