Industry News

ABA programming at BookExpo America will once again provide booksellers with two unique opportunities to network with publishers. Last year’s popular “Meet the Editor” is returning, and new this year is “Publicists Speed Dating.”

Last week's news cycle featured a number of positive stories about independent bookstores, starting with a February 25 article in the International New York Times about the growing number of indie bookstores in the U.S. 

Following its grand opening during the busy 2014 holiday season, RoscoeBooks is now looking to situate itself as a community hub. “We want people to know that we’re here and that they’re always welcome,” said owner Erika VanDam.

Under ABA’s Bylaws, any bookstore member may submit petitions to have the names of additional candidates for Board officers and/or directors added to the ballot for the 2015–16 Board of Directors elections.

NYT article on indie bookstores shared with millions of Twitter followers; SFWA announces 2014 Nebula Award nominees; Poets & Writers introduces mobile app; PEN releases 2015 Literary Awards calendar; Young people prefer print books to digital, Washington Post reports; May 2 announced as first Canadian Authors for Indies Day; Lerner Publishing Group acquires Egmont USA’s list

Booksellers are invited to join American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher and Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger at an ABA Spring Forum in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, March 11, or Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, March 12.
 

The official 2015 Children’s Book Week poster, commemorating the 96th year of the reading and literacy celebration, was designed by Grace Lee, a storybook artist for Disney Publishing Worldwide.

At Winter Institute 10, Publishers Weekly presented ABFE with a check for $13,600, a portion of the money raised by PW's Tribute to Freedom of Expression in its January 19 issue.

Bestselling author Jon Scieszka, a nationally recognized reading advocate and the founder of Guys Read, has joined the Children’s Institute panel “Reaching Reluctant Readers.”

Registration for the 2015 ABC Children’s Institute is expected to reach maximum capacity within the next several days; booksellers who want to attend should register now.

ABA member booksellers who have not attended BookExpo America since 2012 have just a few days left to fill out an application for a chance to win one of 60 BEA Scholarships of $435 each.

The winners of the 2015 WNBA Pannell Award will be chosen by the Pannell Awards jury from 18 nominees in the general bookstore category and eight in the children’s category.

This Friday, February 27, is the deadline for applications for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation’s 2015 academic scholarship program. Two scholarships of $10,000, 50 scholarships of $3,500, and the inaugural Karl Pohrt Tribute Scholarship of $5,000 will be awarded.
 

The American Booksellers Association’s Board of Directors met on February 6 – 7, 2015, in Asheville, North Carolina, just prior to the 10th Winter Institute, and worked on a range of business.

On February 8, just prior to Winter Institute 10, 25 booksellers, representing 17 prospective or established businesses, participated in the “Introduction to Bookselling” workshop presented by ABA and facilitated by Mark and Donna Paz Kaufman of the Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates.