Industry News

An editorial in Connecticut’s The Day noted that Bank Square’s expansion last October from 3,000 to 4,800 square feet and Monte Cristo’s opening in December of 2012 “are reason for optimism about the future of books and bookstores hereabouts.”

Indie booksellers who put their creative talents to work on in-store displays for the May 12 – 18 celebration of Children’s Book Week are invited to enter a display contest sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader in partnership with the ABC Children’s Group at ABA.

The American Booksellers Association and the ABC Children’s Group at ABA welcomed 130 booksellers from 32 states to San Antonio, Texas, this week for an upbeat and energetic 2014 ABC Children’s Institute.

To create a stronger bond with area children and to foster reading and writing starting at a young age, McLean & Eakin founders Julie Norcross and Karen Lang started an annual Short Story Contest that is now in its 20th year.

This week, the IndieCommerce team took steps to address a recently discovered OpenSSL software problem, which has been dubbed Heartbleed. Heartbleed is likely the most severe vulnerability ever discovered in basic Internet security.

ABA's weekly Kobo e-mail newsletter is now the “Kobo: What You Need to Know” newsletter. It will be sent every two weeks to deliver high priority Kobo news while minimizing clutter in booksellers’ inboxes.

NCAC condemns school board for banning Sherman Alexie’s True Diary; Binc awards gift cards to marketing survey participants; Matthew Baldacci joins Scholastic as VP of marketing; Booksellers Association names new president

According to an opinion poll released in March by the Small Business Majority, just over half of the small business owners surveyed support increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 from the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.

A key to the long-term success and sustainability of a new bookstore business is sound professional development, and for those new to retail bookselling, the workshop “Owning a Bookstore: The Business Essentials” will provide fundamental skills required to operate a bookstore business.

Beginning April 22, World Book Night U.S. is offering a free proprietary e-book featuring 10 short stories and essays by booksellers, librarians, and authors, as well as an essay contest for next year’s edition.

Tomorrow, April 11, is the final day for booksellers at ABA member stores to submit their  ballots to choose this year’s winners of the Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.

On Friday, May 30, ReedPOP will host the kickoff for BookCon, its interactive consumer book event taking place the following day in conjunction with BEA.

World Book Night U.S. has announced the launch of an interactive giver-by-zip-code map and an official list of host stores and libraries.

The Spring Forum schedule wraps up with programs at ABA’s office in White Plains, New York, on April 29 and at NEIBA’s All About the Books! in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 30. The forums are free and open to ABA members and non-members alike.

With less than three weeks to go to the April 23 celebration, World Book Night’s national publicity campaign and indie booksellers’ local outreach are already paying off, said U.S. executive director Carl Lennertz.