Industry News

As Congress heads toward its August recess, the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP) is preparing for the culmination of its efforts to ensure that protections for the privacy of bookstore and library records are included in the final version of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill. As part of that effort, ABA is strongly encouraging booksellers to continue to collect customer signatures on petitions supporting reader privacy.

On Tuesday, July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 525), legislation that would allow for the creation of Association Health Plans (AHPs). AHPs would enable small businesses to band together across state lines through bona fide trade and professional associations to purchase affordable health packages for themselves and their employees. The bill passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 263 - 165.

Sunday, July 31, is the deadline for ABA member booksellers to submit their 2004 financial data to the 2005 ABACUS study. Participating booksellers receive an invaluable analysis of their own business and are helping to establish a benchmark for the entire industry. As an added benefit, this year participating stores are receiving a coupon for $50 off their next ABA dues renewal.

Completing the survey takes approximately an hour and in return ABA member booksellers receive:

College Publishing Industry Predicted to Grow Three to Four Percent

Continuing our coverage of independent booksellers' celebrations marking the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Scholastic), which began last week, here Bookselling This Week presents photos provided by Reader's Choice in Centerville, Ohio; Village Bookstore in Pleasantville, New York; Second Story Book Shop in Chappaqua, New York; The Storyteller in Lafayette, California; Octavia Books in New Orleans; Brystone Children's Books in Fort Worth, Texas; and The Learned Owl Bookshop in Hudson, Ohio

This week, BTW is debuting a feature of new independent bookstore openings.

In July, three new bookstores opened: The Spotty Dog Books & Ale opened on July 1 in Hudson, New York; the Bridge Street Bookshop opened in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, also on July 1; and Read Between the Lynes opened on July 9 in Woodstock, Illinois:

Based on the enthusiasm at the presentation, "Buying, Selling, and Managing Gifts, Sidelines, and Other Non-Book Products 201," at last month's BookExpo America in New York City, it appears that booksellers are always looking for new sources for appealing gift items.

For free speech and civil liberties groups fighting to amend Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act and restore readers' right to privacy, the events of the last few days were a classic case of good news, bad news. In the Senate's version of the USA Patriot Act reauthorization bill, significant progress was made in correcting and clarifying 215. Meanwhile, in the House, the Republican-led Rules Committee rebuffed efforts to introduce Rep.

Now that hundreds of thousands of cartons of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been opened, all previous publication-day sales records have been topped, and booksellers have picked the last Bertie Botts jellybean out of their carpets and hung up their sorting hats, many yearn for a few months off.

BookExpo America has set the dates for both the 2007 and 2008 conventions, to be held in New York City and Los Angeles, respectively. The next New York City event will be held from May 31 - June 3, 2007, while the L.A. show will be held from May 29 - June 1, 2008. Next year's BEA, in Washington, D.C., will be held prior to the Memorial Day weekend, from May 18 - May 21.

A letter from Chris Morrow of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont, followed by letters from other local independent booksellers, recently convinced Vermont Public Radio (VPR) to remove a link to Amazon.com from its website, www.vpr.net/, and to replace it with one to BookSense.com.