About ABA

The American Booksellers Association's 2006 Booksellers Forum Tour continues with a forum and educational programming held in conjunction with the Third Annual Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA) Spring Meeting, to be held from February 23 to 25, at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. All members of MPBA and ABA -- owners and staff -- are welcome to participate in the free program.

The American Booksellers Association is inviting bookstore owners and staff in the Pacific Northwest to a Booksellers Forum on Saturday, February 25, at the McMenamins Kennedy School, in Portland, Oregon. The event, which features an education component, is being held in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA). All members of PNBA and ABA are welcome to participate in the free program.

In response to the continuing controversy surrounding the veracity of the memoir A Million Little Pieces, James Frey has written an author's note, now available on the Random House website.

Just two weeks ago, the American Booksellers Association announced the opening of registration at the Hilton Crystal City, which offers ABA member booksellers the same room rate and amenities as the sold-out Hotel ABA/D.C., the Doubletree Crystal City.

More than 130 booksellers answered an early wake-up call for the American Booksellers Association Winter Institute's 7:15 a.m. "What Are You Reading?" Breakfast. Patterned after the popular ABA lunchtime event at BookExpo America, the breakfast was an opportunity for many of the approximately 360 booksellers gathered in Long Beach for ABA's two-day education program to network and to share with colleagues some of the titles they are excited about.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the International Booksellers Federation (IBF), a non-governmental organization of booksellers associations and booksellers from around the world, has announced plans for the publication of a calendar featuring photographs of 50 bookshops in all IBF member countries.

The American Booksellers Association's 2006 Forum Tour begins on Monday, February 13, at the Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia. The event, which features an education component, is being held in conjunction with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA), formerly the Southeast Booksellers Association, Bookseller Revival. All members of SIBA and ABA are welcome to participate in the free program.

Volvo did not violate Robinson-Patman Act, court declares

From Tuesday, February 28, through Thursday, March 2, booksellers and publishers will meet in New York City for the first in a planned series of focus groups organized by the American Booksellers Association on behalf of the participating publishers. The sessions have been developed as a means for publishers to meet with a cross section of ABA member booksellers to test new ideas and to garner bookseller feedback about existing programs.

Beginning with today's issue, Bookselling This Week will be delivered through Constant Contact software. Subscribers of the HTML version of BTW should not notice any major difference in the presentation of the newsletter.

When the American Booksellers Association's Booksellers Advisory Council (BAC) convenes prior to the Winter Institute, in Long Beach at the end of this month, the 25-member council will welcome nine new volunteers to its ranks. Appointed for two-year terms by ABA's president, currently Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books in Miami, with input from ABA staff and the regional booksellers associations, BAC members provide ABA's Board of Directors with input reflecting a broad cross-section of views on issues of concern to independent booksellers.

Two new sessions were recently added to the schedule of educational programming at the American Booksellers Association's inaugural Winter Institute to be held in Long Beach, California, on Thursday, January 26, and on Friday, January 27.

 Here's a reminder about ABA/Book Sense programs and events. This list may also be downloaded in PDF format.

This week, the American Booksellers Association announced a new partnership with Above the Treeline, LLC, which provides an online software product designed to help bookstores improve finances by optimizing inventory selection.

The American Booksellers Association has announced a schedule of 13 Booksellers Forums over the course of three months, beginning in mid-February. Each will bring ABA staff and representatives of its Board of Directors together with membership across the country.