August 18, 2010

Dear Fellow Booksellers,

As I begin my second year as your president, I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on ABA’s current priorities and initiatives, especially important changes that we are making in our membership categories and dues structures to make it easier for smaller stores to join ABA and to participate in its programs and initiatives.

Read the rest of Michael Tucker's letter here.

• Alaska Booksellers Sue to Block Censorship Law
• Domnitz Scholarship Open to ABACUS Participants
• Media Spotlight on Good News for Indie Bookstores
• Grassroots Financing for Neighborhood Businesses
• ABA Education at PNBA, GLIBA & SCIBA Shows

In August, ABA members received a special e-mail from the National Association of College Stores' OnCampus Research that began the information collection process for ABA's 2010 ABACUS financial survey. Members are urged to reply to the e-mail and submit their numbers as soon as possible. The deadline for submissions is October 29.

Booksellers at stores that submit their data by the deadline can apply for the Avin Mark Domnitz Scholarship to the Sixth Annual Winter Institute.

ABA bookstore members have praised ABACUS as "extremely helpful," a tool for making the bookstore profitable "as quickly as possible," and absolutely essential for establishing goals, determining areas for potential improvement, and monitoring progress.

For questions about submitting data, contact Martha Love at OnCampus Research; general questions about ABACUS should be addressed to  ABA COO Len Vlahos.

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read, and ABFFE is urging booksellers to participate this year from September 25 - October 2.

ABFFE makes it easy by providing web-based marketing materials and tools -- and, for a limited time, ABFFE is discounting its great Freadom gear -- including T-shirts, buttons, and stickers.

Here's a full update, including web links to online resources and ording information.

Think for yourself -- and let others do the same!

Kate DiCamillo, winner of the 2010 Indies Choice Award for "Most Engaging Author," offers a message to booksellers from her acceptance speech at ABA's Celebration of Bookselling Luncheon at BEA -- your commitment to putting the right book in a person's hands can change lives.

And here are all the 2010 Indies Choice Book Award Winners and Honor Award recipients ...