About ABA

Dear Booksellers,

As I have been traveling around the country over the last few weeks to ABA Booksellers Forums and other events, it is clear that many of you are concerned about the rapid deterioration of business in the retail world generally and in your bookshops specifically. These are indeed challenging times for independent booksellers, as the continued softness of the national economy and international events have hit many of our members hard.

The ABA Board of Directors held its spring meeting in Chicago from March 28 - 30.

At the meeting, the Board:

Book Sense has established a marketing partnership with The Minute Maid division of The Coca-Cola Company to attract consumers participating in reading groups to independent bookstores with Book Sense. The new sweepstakes promotion for BACARDI® Mixers will run for four months starting in July. Bookstores participating in Book Sense must sign-up to participate in the program.

Following a significant increase in the submission of bookstore financial data to the ABACUS project, ABA has extended the deadline for bookstores to contribute data to the first year's study to April 30.

ABA will be conducting Booksellers Forums in conjunction with regional booksellers association meetings, held from April 4 - 8, in the Southeast, New Atlantic, and Mid-South regions.

Southeast

The Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) Spring Seminar and Book Awards Celebration will feature a series of ABA programs in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, at the Park Road Hotel.

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) held its Spring Meeting on March 27 at the Transitions Learning Center in Chicago. The program included an ABA Booksellers Forum, an ABACUS "Sneak Preview," and a seminar on Succession Planning/Bookstore Valuation sponsored by ABA. Representing ABA at the meeting were President Ann Christophersen of Women & Children First in Chicago; Board member Karl Pohrt of Shaman Drum Bookshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan; CEO Avin Mark Domnitz; COO Oren Teicher; and Ivan Barkhorn, a consultant to ABA on strategic matters.

ABA bookstore members should watch the mail for an envelope containing ballots for the 2003 ABA Board of Directors and the 2003 Book Sense Book of the Year (BSBY) Awards, as well as the program of ABA events at BookExpo America, May 28 - June 1. This material is being mailed to all ABA bookstore members on Friday, March 28.

In the coming weeks, ABA Booksellers Forums will be held in the Southeast, New Atlantic, and Mid-South regions.

The Southeast Booksellers Association's (SEBA) Spring Seminar and Book Awards Celebration, April 4 - 5, at the Park Road Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, will include a Booksellers Forum and an ABACUS "Sneak Preview."

On Friday, March 14, booksellers from five states attended an ABA/MPBA Booksellers Forum that was held at the Mountain and Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA) Spring Meeting and Regional Book Awards Celebration. The event took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the Radisson Santa Fe, and was part of a full program for booksellers that ran from Friday to Sunday, March 16.

ABA announced this week two promotions within its Information Department.

Rosemary Hawkins, senior editor for print & digital media, will be assuming new responsibilities as the department's executive editor. In addition, David Grogan, currently the department's associate editor, has become the department's senior editor.

On Thursday, March 13, the American Booksellers Association participated in the Library of Congress Center for the Book's annual Reading Promotion Partners Meeting, held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Representing ABA at the meeting was Jill Perlstein, ABA's director of marketing. "It was a productive meeting," Perlstein reported. "It's encouraging to see how many groups are looking to get together to promote literacy."

On Thursday, March 27, the American Booksellers Association will be holding a Booksellers Forum, an ABACUS "Sneak Preview," and a "Succession Planning/How to Value Your Business" seminar in Chicago. The events will be held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) Spring Meeting at the Transitions Learning Center in Chicago.

On Friday, March 14, over 35 people attended an ABA Booksellers Forum, held in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Spring Show, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The PNBA Spring Show ran from March 14 - 16 and was held at the Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Thursday, May 29, at BookExpo America will be replete with activities of interest to children's booksellers, beginning with the annual meeting of the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC). Registration and box-lunch pick up will begin at 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. All those pre-registered for the meeting can pick up a free box lunch.

Two Booksellers Forums and additional ABA programming will be held on Friday, March 14, in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Spring Show in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and with the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association (MBPA) Spring Trade Show in Santa Fe, New Mexico.