Over the course of its 100-year history, ABA has served as a united, powerful voice for the independent bookselling community. By building on the passion and determination of booksellers nationwide, ABA has achieved what no single store could do on its own.

From a major lawsuit settlement (five years in the making) that resulted in more equitable trade terms and discount schedules to the founding of American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), ABA has invested significant time and resources in working to ensure the needs of independents are voiced – and heard.

ABA is fostering meaningful dialogue between our members and representatives in Washington, demonstrating to publishers the value of the independent market, and ensuring that independent booksellers have a say in the development of technological standards.

The work continues. Local First initiatives, free expression, and e-commerce taxation parity issues are just a few of the areas in which ABA continues to vigorously represent the interests of independent booksellers in regard to public policy, trade issues, and literacy.

ABA continually works to solidify relationships between independent booksellers and publishers. For example, ABA staff travels to meetings in which sales figures and analyses are employed to illustrate independents’ viability and buying power. In addition, ABA facilitates focus groups: booksellers meet with publishers for roundtable discussions on industry issues.

Most recently, at a series of special meetings, ABA presented to publishers detailed reports of sales figures for independent markets. For many titles, sales in independent stores surpassed the independent market share for books as a whole. ABA staff will be conducting these meetings – which validate the viability and buying power of independent booksellers – on a regular basis throughout the year.

Local First: ABA is working to strengthen consumer awareness about the crucial role independent retailers play in local economies and communities.

Free Expression:

• ABFFE focuses on First Amendment and Free Expression issues on behalf of independent booksellers. Visit ABFFE’s website.
  

• Bookselling This Week stays abreast of breaking news about Free Expression issues. Read the latest updates.

• Booksellers nationwide promote "The Freadom List" -- titles for children and adults that have been most frequently challenged or banned.

Reader Privacy: ABA is an active participant in the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP), which works to restore the safeguards for reader privacy that were eliminated by the USA Patriot Act.

Economic Stimulus Package: As of Thursday, February 12, negotiations were still ongoing in Washington regarding the final version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1). ABA is strongly urging members to e-mail or fax their Representatives and Senators to urge them to keep important small business provisions in the final version of the stimulus bill.

Here is a copy of a suggested letter. And here is American Booksellers Association President Gayle Shanks' letter to the Congressional leadership in support of the small business provisions. Shanks, the co-owner of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, sent her letter on February 9.

Online Sales Tax: ABA is working to ensure equitable sales tax collection for online commerce.

ISBN-13: Although the new 13-digit ISBN has been in place since January 1, 2007, there’s still a lot you can learn – and do.

Bookseller Relief Fund: The Bookseller Relief Fund was established by ABA in September 2005 to help meet the humanitarian needs of booksellers affected by disasters.

Publishers' Obligations to Book Retailers Under the Federal Anti-Trust Discrimination Law: The fundamentals of the Robinson-Patman Act as it pertains to booksellers.