About ABA

In early November, ABA launched new and improved forum software on the BookWeb.org Idea Exchange, providing all ABA bookstore members a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and share thoughts with fellow booksellers or with the ABA Board and staff.

The American Booksellers Association's Nominating Committee, chaired by Suzanne Staubach of UConn Co-op in Storrs, Connecticut, is seeking qualified candidates to serve on the ABA Board of Directors. Any ABA member may submit nominations, which must be received no later than Friday, December 17.

Both FedEx and UPS have recently announced an increase in their rates on ground and air shipments, effective January 3, 2005. According to PartnerShip, which offers a money-saving small-package shipping program exclusively for members of the American Booksellers Association, rates for FedEx Ground and UPS Ground shipments will increase an average of 2.9 percent, and a fuel surcharge, based on a fuel index that will vary from week to week, will be implemented.

The American Booksellers Association's Nominating Committee, chaired by Suzanne Staubach of UConn Co-op in Storrs, Connecticut, 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. Board members are eligible to be elected for two three-year terms.

ABA is encouraging booksellers to check out the new forum software on the Idea Exchange section of BookWeb.org. Launched just last week, the new Idea Exchange was developed in response to booksellers' requests for more user-friendly forums, which provide flexibility and where booksellers can prioritize and search for topics of interest.

The virtual community of independent booksellers received a boost on Thursday, November 4, with ABA's launch of new forum software on the Idea Exchange section of BookWeb.org. The new, improved forum software was developed in response to booksellers' requests for more user-friendly forums, which provide flexibility and where booksellers can prioritize and search for topics of interest. Access to the forums is open to all ABA bookstore and provisional members and provides them with a valuable professional development tool.

Due to overall increased consumer demand for electronic gift cards and the continued growing popularity of Book Sense Gift Cards in particular, the American Booksellers Association is announcing the discontinuation of the Book Sense Paper Gift Certificate Program.

To ensure a smooth ending for the program, please note the following:

The American Booksellers Association's Education Task Force will meet on Saturday, November 13, in Minneapolis to consider the results of the "ABA Education 2005 Survey." The survey to gather bookseller input to help guide ABA's future educational programming was distributed over the last few months to ABA member booksellers by e-mail, through BookW

ABA will be joining members of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) at the regional's fall trade show to be held on Sunday, October 24, and Monday, October 25, at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As part of the full day of educational programming on Sunday, from 2:00 p.m.

To provide independent professional booksellers with access to the education, information, and business services they need to succeed in a changing world, which is the number-one goal of ABA's Strategic Plan, the association has been seeking bookseller input regarding future educational programming through responses to ABA's "Education 2005 Survey."

The theme of this year's Great Lakes Booksellers Association fall trade show was "Making It on Main Street," and the GLBA plenary session on Sunday, October 10, focused on building local alliances to strengthen Main Street businesses.

Some of the thousands of petitions collected by ABA-member booksellers.

On Wednesday, September 29, the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP) petition drive culminated with a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as representatives of the four sponsor

The Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) and Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA) fall trade shows will be held from Friday, October 1 - Sunday, October 3, in Oakland, California, and St. Paul, Minnesota, respectively.