Bookseller
In response to requests from member booksellers, the American Booksellers Association has created an online forum specifically for users of the Anthology inventory control system. The new forum link is located directly below the general Inventory Control Forum on Bookweb's Idea Exchange. Booksellers requested the Anthology forum to essentially create an "Anthology users group."
 Booksellers should note that Bank of America, an American Booksellers Association affinity program partner, is offering ABA members a special promotion: The company is waiving the $75 application fee for member bookstores that sign up for its merchants services program by December 31, 2005. On October 31, Bank of America mailed a postcard to bookstore members detailing the offer.
At press time, there remained uncertainty as to the final language and timing of the vote on the U.S. House-Senate conference committee's bill reauthorizing the USA Patriot Act; however, the American Booksellers Association and its co-sponsors in the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP) are urging supporters to immediately contact their senators and House representatives to urge them to vote "no" on the report for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act.
 Since just a week ago, when the American Booksellers Association announced the opening of registration for Hotel ABA/Washington, D.C., at BookExpo America 2006, hundreds of booksellers have booked rooms. The package exclusively for ABA member booksellers includes a special room rate of $129 per night at The Doubletree Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, plus other benefits. Rooms are being sold on a first-come/first-served basis, however.
 Twenty-two lucky booksellers were recently informed that they were the recipients of publisher-sponsored scholarships to the American Booksellers Association's first annual Winter Institute. In addition, ABA announced the winner of its Emerging Leader Scholarship, awarded to a bookseller who has been in the business for less than two years and who shows a commitment to furthering the success of independent bookselling.
 On Thursday, November 17, the American Booksellers Association announced the launch of the Booksellers Resource Directory (BRD), an electronic source for information about vendors of nonbook products and services, open to ABA bookstore, provisional, and publisher members.
Pages
About ABA
American Booksellers Association is a national trade association that supports and advocates for the success of independent bookstores. We provide members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, resources, and technology. In turn our members support local schools through book fairs, donations and author visits; promote literacy; provide inclusive community centers; connect readers and books; add character to neighborhoods; champion and center diverse and new voices; and contribute to the local economy. We feel honored to support them in their work.
|
As a result of the outcry from free speech advocates and civil liberties groups, on Friday, November 18, Congress postponed a vote on the draft USA Patriot Act conference committee report until after the Thanksgiving recess.
This holiday season, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts gift card sales to total $18.48 billion, a 6.6 percent increase over last year. To meet the growing demand, Book Sense is advising stores participating in the gift card program to check stock now and reorder as necessary. All Book Sense gift card designs, except two, are now in stock, and an e-mail advisory was recently sent to booksellers regarding backordered cards and presenters.