Advocacy

On February 22, a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that blocked Colorado from enforcing a law requiring out-of-state retailers to report use tax information to consumers and the Colorado Department of Revenue.

This year’s Banned Books Week, from September 25−October 1, will shine the spotlight on banned or challenged literature by diverse writers and explore why diverse books are disproportionately singled out for censorship.

ABA is urging the chief executive of Hong Kong to demand that Chinese authorities release five employees of a Hong Kong publisher and bookseller who are being held on the Chinese mainland.

Resources offering a wide range of information on Amazon and its effect on Main Street retailers can now be found in one place on BookWeb.org.

Here’s a look at some of this week’s minimum wage stories making the news from New Jersey to California.

Independent businesses experienced healthy sales growth in 2015, buoyed by their strong community ties and growing public awareness of the benefits of locally owned businesses, according to the Independent Business Survey, released today by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with Advocates for Independent Business.

The Wi11 panel discussion “The New Localism” brought together experts and thought leaders on local economies for a discussion about the next phase in the localism movement — evolving the movement from public discourse to public policy.

ABFE Director Chris Finan looks at the implications for the freedom to write, publish, and sell books, when authors and publishers respond to controversies over their works by pulling them from the marketplace.

In this op-ed from the January 24 edition of the Albany Times-Union, Susan Novotny of the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza and Market Block Books explains why it is crucial that small business owners have a voice in discussions to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Dayton Literary Peace Prize accepting entries; Villarosa Media to publish first book; Bookstore café specialist joins Paz & Associates; Survey by children’s publisher correlates lack of diverse books to lack of diverse staff; Ella Boureau named Lambda Literary’s awards administrator; 2016 PEN Literary Awards shortlists announced

The featured talk “Authors, Agents, and Booksellers — United for a Fair Marketplace” provided Wi11 attendees with an update on last July’s appeal to the DOJ by ABA and Authors United that called for an investigation of Amazon’s business practices.

Publishers Lunch releases Buzz Books’ spring/summer adult and YA titles; AAUP member presses to launch diversity fellowship; AAP, United Negro College Fund partner for diversity initiative; Chronicle Books to distribute Hardie Grant Books; Eleven publishers sign with IPG, subsidiaries; Nominees announced for National Book Critics Circle Awards, 2016 Edgars; Book tech startups named winners in 1440 Accelerator Program; BEA announces library, children’s, and self-publishing programming

A recently updated study by Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business drives home the point that the competitive advantage Amazon gained from not charging sales tax was as significant as Main Street retailers claimed — if not more so.

Protests over the disappearance of five employees of a Hong Kong publisher and its bookstore are continuing two weeks after the last of the men vanished.

Tattered Cover General Manager Matt Miller will recreate the free speech training given to all new employees of the iconic Denver bookstore at a Winter Institute session on January 26.