Industry News

During its 44 years, Brookline Booksmith has received its share of accolades from loyal customers and from the industry at large. Offspring Wellesley Booksmith, which opened in 1999, has also won its share of recognition.

On Tuesday, April 5, in a statement before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (SCJ), Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urged the oversight committee to renew Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act; however, under questioning, he acknowledged that some modifications to the provision would be acceptable to the Department of Justice. Gonzales testified alongside FBI Director Robert S. Mueller during the SCJ's "Oversight of the USA Patriot Act" full committee hearing.

Booksellers visiting BookWeb's Idea Exchange this week will note the addition of a new Education Forum, which is designed to provide ABA member booksellers with an opportunity to learn and share thoughts and experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions and tips on the material presented in ABA's various education programs, including "The 2% Solution." This forum is intended for bookseller-to-bookseller interaction, though ABA staff will moderate the postings and respond to questions when ap

As Senate and House Judiciary committee hearings on the USA Patriot Act began this week, many newspapers around the country voiced support for the sunsetting of provisions threatening Americans' First Amendment rights, including Section 215, which relates to the privacy of bookstore and library records. The following editorial appeared in Eugene, Oregon's Register-Guard on Monday, March 28.

Revise Patriot Act -- Anti-terrorism powers should be scaled back

Beginning next week, booksellers participating in the Book Sense Gift Card program will be able to order a special limited edition Harry Potter Book Sense gift card and coordinating presenter, which have been created in cooperation with Scholastic, Inc., the U.S. publisher of J.K. Rowling's record-breaking Harry Potter series.

Response Needed by April 15

With a number of the provisions of the USA Patriot Act set to expire at the end of the year, both the Senate and House Judiciary committees are expected to begin hearings on the USA Patriot Act next week. The House Judiciary Committee hearings are scheduled to start on Wednesday, April 6, and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearings are expected to commence on Tuesday, April 5.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Agreement Deadline Friday

On Wednesday, March 30, Scholastic announced that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will break U.S. publishing records, with a first printing of 10.8 million copies. To support the title's July 16 release, Scholastic also announced a multi-million dollar marketing campaign to begin April 7, marking the "100 Day Countdown to Harry."

American Booksellers Association Board of Directors ballots, arriving in stores now, feature the names of two new candidates for the Board: Collette Morgan of Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers in Minneapolis and Michael Tucker of Books Inc. in San Francisco.