About ABA

Once again, ABA members attending BookExpo America will have an opportunity to get a full update on ABA activities, share their concerns, and voice their opinions to the association's leadership.

Once again, ABA members attending BookExpo America will have an opportunity to get a full update on ABA activities, share their concerns, and voice their opinions to the association's leadership.

On Wednesday, May 5, ABA's winter/spring Booksellers Forum tour concluded in Pittsboro, North Carolina, with a program that was postponed in January due to inclement weather. ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher conducted the forum, which was held in conjunction with the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) at McIntyre's Fine Books at Fearrington Village. Topics at the forum ranged from the Book Sense Gift Card Program to the BookSense.com Co-op Reimbursement Program to the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP).

The results of ABA's semi-annual annual revenue survey of bookstore members indicate that almost 65 percent of the 243 reporting stores saw their sales increase, as compared to 2002. Meanwhile, 35 percent experienced a decline in sales in 2003, as compared to 2002.

Just over 26 percent of respondents saw sales increases of five percent or less, while 20.6 percent saw sales increases of more than five, but less than 10 percent, and 17.7 percent saw sales rise more than 10 percent over 2002.

Preparations are in high gear for ABA's education sessions at this year's BookExpo America (BEA), which will be held from June 2 - 6 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center. Among the many events planned are two very valuable users group meetings -- for BookSense.com and for Book Sense Gift Cards.

ABA's winter/spring Booksellers Forum tour concludes in Pittsboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday, May 5, with a program that was postponed in January due to inclement weather. ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher will conduct the forum, held in conjunction with the Southeast Booksellers Association, at McIntyre's Fine Books at Fearrington Village (near Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill).

The grassroots effort to amend Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act continues to gain momentum. Last week, Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called on President George W.

On Thursday, June 3, at this year's BookExpo America (BEA) in Chicago, ABA will once again hold its popular All-Day Education Program. This year, there is no additional fee for BEA educational programming, including ABA's Thursday programming, which is open to all ABA member bookstores. To qualify for the new BEA Super Pass, ABA member booksellers must check off "ABA Bookstore Member" and provide their ABA ID number under "Registration Options" on the BEA registration form.

Booksellers, having already gathered their financial data for their 2004 tax returns, can easily participate in the 2004 ABACUS study through an online form at http://www.bookweb.org/docs/abacusform/. The deadline for participation has been extended to Wednesday, May 5, allowing more time for booksellers to submit data to the 2004 study, which will provide participants with valuable information that can help improve their bookstore's operations.

The American Booksellers Association, in conjunction with the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA), held a Booksellers Forum at the National Yiddish Book Center on the grounds of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thursday, April 22. The forum, the second of the season in the New England area, followed the NEBA meetings and a meeting of the New England Children's Bookselling Advisory Council (NECBA).

On Thursday, April 22, MoveOn, the grassroots civic action group, held a community forum at Women & Children First bookstore in Chicago as part of its unique spring book tour to promote MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country: How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change (Inner Ocean). More than 75 people attended the event, which was hosted by Women & Children co-owner Ann Christophersen, and MoveOn member and Newtopia magazine publisher Charles Shaw.

On Sunday, April 25, at the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association's (NAIBA) Spring Workshop in Philadelphia, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz discussed the 2003 ABACUS study and how bookstore owners and managers can use the results to make better operational decisions. The session kicked off a full day of NAIBA programming at the Sheraton Society Hill.

In the following letter, addressed to ABA members, the association's Board of Directors is announcing that, after lengthy deliberations, it has decided to sell the ABA headquarters property in Tarrytown, New York, to a prominent Westchester-based real estate company.

To: ABA Membership
From: ABA Board of Directors

We are writing to share some important news with the membership concerning possible changes in the ownership of the ABA headquarters property in Tarrytown, New York.

Ballots to elect ABA Board of Director candidates and to approve officers must be postmarked by Wednesday, April 28, and returned in the special postage-paid envelope sent to bookstores in early April. Board ballots must be received by ABA's accountants, KPMG, by May 5.

At this weekend's New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association's (NAIBA) Spring Workshop in Philadelphia, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz will discuss the 2003 ABACUS study and how bookstore owners and managers can use the results to make better operational decisions. Scheduled from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 25, the session will begin a full day of NAIBA programming at the Sheraton Society Hill.