Industry News

The 2016–17 New York State budget will increase the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022. To ensure a successful transition, ABA is calling on the governor to take action to support the state’s Main Street retailers and small businesses that will bear the brunt of the increase.

Friday afternoon, May 13, at BEA will offer two opportunities for booksellers to meet children’s book authors and illustrators and to learn about their new projects.

ABA invites booksellers to Spring Forums on Friday, April 8, in Boulder, Colorado, and on Sunday, April 10, in San Francisco. Both programs will feature a discussion about industry issues and the education session “Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do.”

Five- to 10-minute interviews of Winter/Spring 2016 Indies Introduce authors, conducted by booksellers at Winter Institute 11, are now on ABA’s YouTube channel.

Partners Book Distributing, comprised of Partners/East in Holt, Michigan, and Partners/West in Renton, Washington, is closing and will stop shipping orders effective Friday, April 1.

March 31 deadline for Ingram’s Booklove² incentive program; Cover of illustrated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets released; 2016 BEA Global Market Forum to highlight Poland; 2016 Whiting Award winners announced; NCIBA office moving to Sonoma; James Patterson to donate $1.75 million to school libraries for second year

Here are important reminders about the BEA scholarship deadline; Publicists Speed Dating registration; tickets for the ABC/CBC Speed Dating Lunch With Children’s Authors and the Tea With Children’s Authors and Illustrators; and free BEA badges and discounted parking at McCormick Place.

In April, Nashville’s Parnassus Books will host its fourth readers’ retreat at the Rivendell Writers Colony in Sewanee, Tennessee. This spring also brings with it the introduction of a new bookmobile and the beginning of the store’s expansion project.

Next Wednesday, April 6, is the deadline for booksellers at all ABA member stores to cast their ballots for the 2016 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud awards. Up to three booksellers per ABA member store location can make a reservation for the awards lunch at BEA.

Booksellers share their personal memories of Nancy Olson, founder and former owner of Quail Ridge Books & Music, who died on Sunday, March 27, at the age of 75 from kidney disease.

Through March 31, every Children’s Institute bookseller registration received from an ABC Children’s Group member store will be entered into a drawing to win prizes from the event’s keynote speakers. Stores can join the ABC Group now to have their membership retroactively applied to the drawing.

Following negotiations that did not include the state’s business community, California lawmakers and union leaders have reached a deal to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour for all businesses by 2023.

Here's an update on a just-announced Google Analytics webinar, registration for the IndieCommerce Institute's Advanced Seminar, and two new helpful features.

The indie bookstore renaissance has been the subject of widespread media coverage, including 10 stories since the start of 2016 in news outlets as varied as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Hartford Courant, and the Seattle and New York Times.

The oral history project StoryCorps is looking to collect stories from booksellers across the country who feel bookselling is their calling, who are passionate about books and readers and are committed to literacy in their communities.