Industry News

"I'm thrilled. Short of a million bucks, I can't think of a nicer prize," said Sharon O'Driscoll, the consumer grand-prize winner of last year's Bacardi Mixers/Book Sense Book Club Sweepstakes. O'Driscoll entered the sweepstakes at The Clemson Newsstand in Clemson, South Carolina. As the grand-prize winner, O'Driscoll will receive 10 copies of 12 different Book Sense Picks for her reading group as well as a supply of Bacardi Mixers.

The name might be Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, but Leslie Ryan wanted to make sure that the residents of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, didn't have to wander too far to find out about the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP). To help promote CRP -- a nationwide grassroots petition drive to raise awareness about the threat to the privacy of bookstore and library records posed by the USA Patriot Act -- the store ran two quarter-page ads in its local newspaper. "It was quite successful," Ryan told BTW in a recent interview.

At this year's BookExpo America, the Book Industry Foundation will be selling two book-related posters based on cartoons featured in The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker, coming from Black Dog & Leventhal in September. Proceeds from sales of the posters will benefit the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the Association of American Publishers' "Get Caught Reading" campaign.

With about 10 years in the bookselling and publishing industry, Rob Stahl, the general manager of Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton, New York, understands the value of regional booksellers getting together to discuss business issues. He also knows that, in central New York State, independent bookstores -- many of whom are either members of the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA) or the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), or both -- have a tough time attending NAIBA's or NEBA's regional meetings due to the travel distances.

The 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards will be announced at the Celebration of Bookselling, on Friday, June 4, during this year's BookExpo America (BEA). Here, BTW takes a look at the 10 finalists in the two children's categories -- Children's Literature and Children's Illustrated. (For the complete list of finalists, click here; for a closer look at the Paperback finalists, click here.)

After a flat January, retail sales at bookstores in February increased nearly 10 percent over February 2003, thus resuming the upward trend of recent months. This year's February bookstore sales were $1,145 million, compared to $1,043 million in February 2003.

Bookstore sales in February kept pace with overall retail. Overall retail of $296 billion for February 2004 was 10.4 percent better than the $268 billion of the previous year.

BookExpo America (BEA), in partnership with Publishers Lunch, has announced that its online directory, BEA Marketplace (www.publishersmarketplace.com/BEA/), which was introduced last year on a test basis, has been expanded to facilitate planning for this year's trade show.

Book Sense -- the campaign that embodies the passion, personality, character, community, and knowledge of independent bookstores -- has announced the Best Books: The Best of Book Sense From the First Five Years. The list is the result of voting by independent booksellers across the country, who cast ballots for the titles they most enjoyed handselling over the past five years.

ABA wants to remind booksellers that they are invited to an open forum at the association's offices in Tarrytown, New York, on Wednesday, April 14. The day's program runs from 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and is being held in conjunction with the New Atlantic Booksellers Association. On the agenda are a Book Sense gift card demonstration, the open forum, and one-to-one ABACUS tutorials with ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz.

Black Images Book Bazaar to Close

Because of the failing economy and high rent, Dallas' Black Images Book Bazaar will close when the store's lease is up next year, as reported by the Associated Press. One-time ABA Board member Emma Rodgers told The Dallas Morning News that "the handwriting has been on the wall for a while. We're not generating as many sales as we were and this economy isn't helping."

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has planned a Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing on the USA Patriot Act for April 14, at 10:00 a.m. MST in the Moot Court Room of the University of Utah law school in Salt Lake City, Utah. The hearing is open to the public.

Inner Ocean Publishing has teamed up with MoveOn, the grassroots civic action group, to publish MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country: How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change, a collection of 50 call-to-action essays by everyday people who were inspired to act for change in their community.

Here is some important news, and a reminder, about various Book Sense marketing initiatives with The History Channel. Questions about any of these promotions should be addressed to Associate Director of Book Sense Marketing Meg Smith at [email protected].