BTW News Briefs

R.J. Julia at Elm Street Books to Close

R.J. Julia at Elm Street Books in New Canaan, Connecticut, is closing. According to the Connecticut Post, the store's 16 investors made the decision to close because of high rent, which ate up 25 percent of sales. Andrew Clarkson, chairman of the executive committee of Elm Street Books LLC, told the Post that the investors never planned to profit from the venture, but sought to give New Canaan a community bookstore. Susan Rein, who founded the 3,700-square-foot Elm Street Books, explained that the high rent wasn't the fault of the landlord, whom she said charged a fair rate, but rather high taxes. Rein told the Post that she might find a smaller location for the store. In 2005, Madison, Connecticut's R.J. Julia Booksellers signed a contract to manage Elm Street, with the option to buy, but owner Roxanne Coady said her company would not exercise the option. The store's projected closing date is March 12.

New $10 Bills Coming Into Circulation

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Reserve Board is alerting retailers that Redesigned Series 2004 $10 notes will soon be in circulation. On March 2, Federal Reserve banks will begin distributing the new notes to the public through commercial banks.

The new $10 note -- like the redesigned $20 and $50 bills that preceded it -- incorporates security features to combat counterfeiting, including three that are easy for retailers and consumers to see:

• Color-shifting ink: Tilt your $10 bill to check that the numeral "10" in the lower right-hand corner on the face of the note changes color from copper to green.
• Watermark: Hold the note up to the light to see if a faint image of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton appears to the right of his large portrait. It should be visible from both sides of the note. On the redesigned $10 note, it is easier than ever to locate the watermark -- a blank oval has been incorporated into the design to highlight the watermark's location.
• Security thread: Hold the note up to the light and make sure there's a small strip that repeats "USA TEN" in tiny print. It should run vertically to the right of the portrait.

SIBA Announces 2006 Award Nomination List

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) has announced the nominees for the 2006 SIBA Book Awards, which recognize great books of Southern origin. Over 120 books across five genres have made the list of finalists. Nominations closed Sunday, February 5, and the entire list of nominated titles, which include the categories of Nonfiction, Poetry, Cookbooks, and Children, has been posted on the SIBA website at www.sibaweb.org.

Winners of the SIBA Book Award receive $500 and a spotlight in the program of the SIBA Fall Trade Show in September. The winners of the SIBA Book Award will be announced at the beginning of June.

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