About ABA

The American Booksellers Association is seeking booksellers and other industry professionals to serve on a task force that will offer input on the world of Spanish-language bookselling, in both Spanish-language stores and within general trade stores. The goal of the task force will be to explore possible new ABA programming and services to meet the needs of booksellers who are currently selling Spanish-language books and those who would like to expand into this area.

The task force will meet at a time and location to be determined.

The American Booksellers Association is announcing the creation of a Bookseller Relief Fund to assist booksellers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Contributions to the fund will be accepted, and ABA is seeding the relief fund with an opening donation of $25,000.

The American Booksellers Association Nominating Committee, chaired by Cathy Langer of the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado, is searching for qualified candidates to serve on the ABA Board of Directors.

The American Booksellers Association is asking booksellers, publishers, and others in the book industry to check their various mailing lists to make sure they reflect the association's new office address:

200 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591

The American Booksellers Association is forming a task force to offer input on the world of Spanish-language bookselling, in both Spanish-language stores and within general trade stores.

As part of its ongoing programs to develop educational and informational resources for bookseller members, the American Booksellers Association is conducting a study on the sale of non-book merchandise in bookstores.

The study seeks to gather information on the key financial variables involved in carrying non-book merchandise, as well as space and inventory planning considerations.

Consumer voting for the inaugural Quill Awards began on August 15, but there is still time for ABA member booksellers who encourage consumers to vote to participate in a random drawing to win a trip to the red carpet awards ceremony to be held in October in New York City.

The American Booksellers Association has begun formulating plans for future educational offerings for bookstore members. To create a program that truly meets members' needs, the association is seeking the input of bookstore owners and staff through an online survey accessible through the BookWeb homepage or directly at www.bookweb.org/read/7981.

The American Booksellers Association recently announced that beginning October 1, 2005, Regular Bookstore Members choosing to pay their dues on a quarterly basis will only be able to do so through ACH transfer (electronic debit to a checking account). Credit card payments will no longer be accepted for quarterly dues payments.

Booksellers who opt to pay their dues in a single payment may still do so by credit card.

The American Booksellers Association Nominating Committee, chaired by Cathy Langer of the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado, is searching for qualified candidates to serve on the ABA Board of Directors. Under ABA's bylaws, the terms of three members of the nine-member board expire each year, and at least one of the three candidates cannot have served on the current board.

ABA member booksellers who encourage their customers to vote in the Quills Awards through a store promotion are invited to participate in a random drawing to win a trip to the red carpet awards ceremony to be held in October in New York City. To be eligible for the drawing, booksellers must send ABA proof of their Quills Awards voting promotion.

Building on the success of this year's educational offerings, ABA is now planning its education program for 2006. To create a program that truly meets the needs of the membership, the association is asking booksellers for their input through an online education survey, accessible through the BookWeb homepage or directly at www.bookweb.org/read/7981.

As previously reported by Bookselling This Week, in late July, Bruce V. Spiva of the law firm Tycko, Zavareei & Spiva offered comments on behalf of the American Booksellers Association to the Antitrust Modernization Commission Robinson-Patman Act Panel, which was established by Congress to review the nation's antitrust laws.

The American Booksellers Association has announced plans for its first annual Winter Education Institute, to be held on Thursday, January 26, and Friday, January 27, 2006, in Long Beach, California.

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Fall Trade Show will be held September 8 - 10 at the Oregon Convention Center and Red Lion Hotel in Portland, Oregon. This year's trade show promises a plethora of educational programs for booksellers, publishers, and authors, as well as Book & Author Breakfasts on Friday and Saturday morning.