About ABA

Booksellers who attended ABA’s inaugural IndieCommerce Institute have provided feedback that is instrumental in gauging the event’s success, as well as in shaping future plans.

The fall regional trade show season begins a month from now with members of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance convening in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

ABA staff will be at the regional trade shows this fall to present educational programming and to meet with booksellers at the ABA booth on the trade show floor, where non-members can sign up for a Show Special: free trial ABA membership until January 31, 2012.

The IndieCommerce Institute, which debuted in Chicago yesterday, drew close to 70 booksellers who took part in a day of intensive work focused on building a better website and developing e-commerce.

ABA is working with Bluefire Productions to create a version of the company’s popular BlueFire Reader app for IndieCommerce stores selling Google eBooks™. 

This week, ABA CEO Oren Teicher shares an update on association activities with members. Last month, ABA President Becky Anderson wrote the membership, and, moving ahead, she and Teicher will alternate each month with updates about the association's activities.

Elizabeth Nichols, a member relationship manager (MRM) at the American Booksellers Association, will be leaving ABA for a position closer to home. Booksellers in Nichols' regions can direct questions to Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher.

For the third year, the American Booksellers Association will award the Avin Mark Domnitz Scholarship to attend the Winter Institute to the owner or an employee of a bookstore who submits the store’s 2010 financial data to the ABACUS-10 survey before the August 15 deadline.

Scott Nafz, the senior customer service rep for ABA’s IndieCommerce program, assists bookstore members in all matters related to their e-commerce websites.

As BTW went to press today, Borders was presenting its liquidation plan to the judge overseeing the company’s bankruptcy case. Earlier this week, ABA CEO Oren Teicher said the Borders liquidation was not a bellwether for all bricks-and-mortar businesses and that he is optimistic about the future of independent booksellers.

Elizabeth Nichols, ABA’s member relationship manager for bookstores in the GLIBA, MPIBA, MBA, PNBA, and SIBA regions, is happy to be a part of ABA, and to be able to work directly with the people that continue to shape the organization — its members.

Booksellers can help improve ABA member programs and services  by completing a short online Satisfaction Survey.

Kaitlin Pitcher, ABA member relationship manager for stores in the NEIBA, NAIBA, SCIBA, and NCIBA, thinks it’s important for members to know that “they have the support of a larger network behind them, people who are working on their behalf to ensure that their businesses survive and thrive.”

ABA is asking booksellers to complete a Member Satisifaction Survey, which was sent to main and branch stores via e-mail on Thursday morning, July 14.

During its June meeting, the ABA Board approved committee appointments, revised the association’s Ends Policies, discussed ways to improve educational programming and the Indie Next Lists, and considered myriad other issues.