About ABA

ABA welcomed 43 indie bookstores that opened in 2012 in 25 states. Among them were six branches of existing businesses and seven selling primarily used books. California is home to seven new stores; New York, five; Florida and Texas, three; and Kansas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, two.

ABA is asking booksellers to share some of the creative things they have done to make their stores more successful and profitable. Booksellers’ input, via a short, online survey, will help ABA formulate the Spring Forum season’s educational component, “The Top 10 Things You Must Do Now!”

ABA is asking member stores to direct all Kobo-related e-mails to a new address.

Hotel ABA 2013 — the Grand Hyatt New York, located at 42^nd Street and Grand Central Terminal — offers a special rate exclusively for ABA member booksellers who are registered for BEA. In addition, booksellers who make their reservations before April 1, will be automatically entered into a drawing for free hotel nights, courtesy of BEA.

ABA is inviting members to attend any of the 11 Spring Forum programs, which are being held in conjunction with the regional booksellers associations, between Friday, March 15, and Wednesday, May 8, 2013.

Booksellers should be on the lookout for ABA dues renewal notices arriving in their mailboxes sometime early next week. Because the mailing was delayed due to ABA’s move to new offices, the payment deadline has been extended to February 15.

ABA is encouraging bookstores to participate in the sixth annual post-holiday survey conducted by the Institute for Local Self Reliance in partnership with ABA and other business organizations. Last year, more than 1,800 businesses completed the confidential survey and its findings were featured in more than 200 stories in local and national news media.

ABA reminds registered booksellers who are no longer planning to attend Winter Institute 8 and all registrants who no longer need their hotel reservations at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center to notify ABA as soon as possible, so people on the waiting lists can fill their places.

Due to a last-minute change by our telephone service provider, the office number and staff extensions distributed last week in connection with ABA’s move from Tarrytown to White Plains, New York, are incorrect.

The American Booksellers Association’s offices will be closed starting at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 13, as the staff undertakes a move from Tarrytown to White Plains, New York. The offices are expected to reopen on or about Wednesday, December 19.

ABA President Becky Anderson writes about the kickoff of the holiday season and some of the special events and initiatives at Anderson’s Bookshops in Naperville, Illinois.

Two winners of IndieBound posters have been chosen at random from ABA members that “liked” the American Booksellers Association’s new Facebook page before November 30.

Registration opened today for the full-day seminar “How to Succeed at Retail Bookselling: Introduction to the Bookstore Business,” to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, February 22, 2013, the day before the ABA Winter Institute begins.

Booksellers should be on the lookout for their store’s 2013 membership renewal form arriving via mail and e-mail from the ABA in January. For those who’d like to get a jump on the process, there’s also an easy-to-use online renewal form, available now.

ABA will open registration next Thursday for the full-day seminar “How to Succeed at Retail Bookselling: Introduction to the Bookstore Business,” to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, February 22, the day before Winter Institute 8 begins.