Industry News

The two auctions of children’s book art that were held in conjunction with BookExpo America raised almost $60,000 to defend the free speech rights of kids, the American Booksellers for Free Expression reported on Wednesday.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of a nine-book series of independent bookseller essays, to be published by Unbridled Books, will go to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. Booksellers are invited to submit essays through October 1.

The owners of Connecticut’s Bank Square Books will open Savoy Bookshop & Café in nearby Westerly, Rhode Island, in late summer. The store, in the former Savoy Hotel, will feature wooden floors and open brick walls in a 2,500-square-foot, two-level space.

ABA member stores have just a few more days to sign up to take advantage of special publisher offers on 10 adult and 10 children’s titles chosen by panels of booksellers from across the U.S. as the top debuts of the summer and fall seasons.

Neil Strandberg will be leaving his position as director of technology for ABA in July to become director of technology and operations for Shelf Awareness in Seattle.

The ABC Children’s Group at ABA has revealed the art to be featured on the cover of the 2015 ABC Best Books for Young Readers Catalog, scheduled to land in stores in early October.

Hundreds of booksellers who were in New York City last week for BookExpo America took advantage of ABA programming to meet face-to-face with publishing staff, enjoy special author signings in the Member Lounge, and network with bookselling colleagues.

Gary Fisketjon, Kent Haruf’s longtime editor and friend, talks about the author’s final novel, Our Souls at Night, and his legacy as a writer.

A Booktalking Kit, created by We Need Diverse Books and School Library Journal, was shipped to ABA member stores in the Summer Kids’ White Box mailing.

The American Booksellers for Free Expression’s online auction of more than 50 works of art created by children’s book illustrators is open on eBay through Monday, June 8.

The continuing renaissance of independent booksellers made for an upbeat ABA Annual Membership Meeting, while issues ranging from educational programming and minimum wage increases to ABA Board diversity were among the topics of discussion at the Town Hall.

The 15th annual Celebration of Bookselling and Author Awards Luncheon recognized the authors and illustrators who have helped to make bookselling meaningful, rewarding, fulfilling, and fun for independent booksellers over the past year.

The second annual Independent Bookstore Day will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, the event’s organizers announced on Friday.

Books Inc. to open new location; BookPeople promotes Texas Teen Book Festival Writing Contest; Eight stores take part in simultaneous book launch

Award winners: Firecracker Awards, Horn Book Awards; BISG names new executive director; Amazon changes revenue reporting in several EU countries; WNDB partners with YA Runs a 5K