CALIBA’s 2026 NorCal Spring Forum: How PBC Promotes Accessibility & Representation
– by Devon Oliver, SFSU Intern

At PBC, we value stories for their ability to foster connection, encourage imagination, and create spaces where readers see themselves reflected. The California Independent Booksellers’ Alliance (CALIBA) shares these values and supports our work to expand  access to literature by connecting us with booksellers, publishers, and authors who create and  broaden access to inclusive stories. At the recent CALIBA 2026 Spring Forum, children’s books and immigrant stories were central topics of discussion highlighting the importance of access to these stories in fostering open-mindedness and understanding. 

Mac Barnett, author of Make Believe, opened the forum by discussing the power of children’s storytelling. Children’s stories foster imagination through their portrayal of fantasy worlds and creatures, encouraging young readers to imagine beyond reality. He explained that children’s books go beyond entertaining and are an essential part of how children learn, develop their imaginations, and grow into critical thinkers. But how can we support youth engagement with these stories?

An open discussion with local booksellers emphasized that creating literary spaces that are welcoming, accessible, and engaging for children–especially when these spaces often cater to adults–is essential to support the next generation of readers. Taking part in these conversations supports our efforts to curate a welcoming space and an engaging collection of literature for the youth of our community. 

Shifting the discussion, authors Aida Salazar, Bora Lee Reed, Kyle Casey Chu, and Andrew W. Shaffer spoke about their upcoming books and the importance of migrant narratives in literature. Their stories highlighted themes of belonging and identity and explored the challenges of adapting to new communities and cultures. This panel underscored the crucial role diverse stories play in ensuring that varied lived experiences and cultural identities are reflected in literature. When readers can see themselves in stories, it fosters engagement, open-minded learning, and discussion. Creating access to diverse stories is especially important to our work because of the diversity of our community and commitment to creating accessibility to literature for all. 

PBC’s membership with CALIBA supports our efforts to curate a diverse book collection, host inclusive events, and create welcoming literary spaces. Our work with CALIBA brings us into direct conversation with authors and publishers to give us early access to upcoming books, helping us shape our inventory to best reflect the interests and identities of our community. CALIBA’s events also connect us with other local booksellers, allowing us to collaborate on ways to shape our spaces and events to best serve and engage with our communities. This partnership is deeply impactful to the work PBC does to create equitable representation in and access to literature.  

Healing Book Club: The Alchemist
– by Devon, SFSU intern ’26

PBC’s monthly Healing Book Club focuses on emotional wellness and healing through personal connections to literature and one other. At the recent meeting discussing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Karen, discussion leader and PBC board member, guided the group through a series of questions inviting members to reflect on personal connections they felt to the story. 

The open-dialogue format helped both new and recurring members to easily connect with each other and feel included. Every attendee had opportunities to reflect upon their own connection to the novel’s central theme of pursuing one’s dreams despite challenges. Members of the discussion shared their own experiences managing their responsibilities, sometimes at the expense of pursuing their dreams. “Our world conditions us to stop dreaming,” said one member, reflecting on their own life experience.

The discussion then shifted to how members continue to pursue their dreams and passions despite the challenges they face. One member spoke about their experience balancing and integrating their career goals with their passion for music production. Another shared the accomplishment of their lifelong dream of walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain later in adulthood, emphasizing that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams. Another member expressed their love for painting and described how they balance this passion with the demands of everyday life. They explained that simply making time for this creative outlet brings them deep fulfillment, illustrating how we can pursue our passions by intentionally making space for them our lives. 

The attendees at this Healing Book Club event reflected the diverse ages, cultural identities, and lived experiences of our community. By connecting to The Alchemist’s central themes, this event fostered meaningful connections through a shared love of literature. Older members encouraged younger members to pursue their dreams, while younger members encouraged older members to have confidence in their ability to achieve their dreams no matter where they are in life. 

It was a truly healing experience to be part of this conversation and witness the connection and introspection it inspired through engagement with The Alchemist. The bright minds and openness of the book club members highlighted a wide range of personal interpretations of the novel.  

We hope you will join us at the next one! The second Wednesday of each month.

May – Who We are becoming Matters

June –Before the Coffee Gets Cold

July- How to Love Better

August – A Man Called Ove