Industry News

On November 13, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and three other free expression groups filed a preliminary injunction asking that a federal court order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to respond immediately to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the groups on October 24. The free expression groups are seeking information on how the government is using the widespread surveillance powers it has been granted under the USA Patriot Act (for a related article, click here.)

The American Booksellers Association recently introduced its new Auxiliary membership category. This membership class, meant for businesses or individuals who want to support independent bookselling, was created, in large part, at the suggestion of booksellers at ABA's Town Hall Meeting at BookExpo America (BEA) this past May. The Auxiliary category replaces the individual, institutional, and international categories.

Would it be suspect if Lawrence, Kansas -- the hometown of legendary crime writer Sara Paretsky -- did not have a bookstore specializing in mysteries? Fortunately, for the past 15 years, it has.

The December 9 issue of The New Yorker, which goes on sale December 2, will include the latest Book Sense insert, "Booked for the Holidays." The special feature presents the holiday picks of 13 independent booksellers, and the titles are drawn from the November/December Book Sense 76 list. (The full 76 can be reviewed here.)

By Chris Finan, ABFFE President

There were no booksellers or librarians singing "Happy Birthday" when the USA Patriot Act celebrated its first anniversary on October 26. Concern about the potential chilling effect on free speech of some of the provisions of the law has grown sharply over the last 12 months.

Since the recent launch of the Publisher Editing feature of the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online at http://handbook.bookweb.org/ an increasing number of publishers, distributors, and wholesalers are using it to submit changes or add special offers to their company listings. Here is an outline of the most recent changes to the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online.

Representatives from 31 states and the District of Columbia approved, on November 12, a proposal to simplify and to modernize sales and use tax administration. The states are part of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP), a national initiative seeking to improve sales and use tax collection, especially for online commerce. The plan incorporates uniform definitions within states' and local governments' tax bases, simplified audit and administrative procedures, and improved software to help reduce the burden of tax collection.

High school students in Vermont and Wisconsin are taking the idea of working after school in the local bookstore to a new level. These students are doing more than just stocking bookshelves part-time -- they are helping to open and to manage new bookstores. It's all a part of two separate high school initiatives to teach literacy-loving students the ins and outs of small business administration and the rewards of bookselling.

The results are in for the national elections, but, for booksellers, the polling of key demographics has opened a new chapter.

The spirit of Dayton, Ohio's illustrious past is being channeled into the state's oldest bookstore, Wilkie News. This latest foray into history is yet another passion of Wilkie's owners, Jim and Pat Latham. Thanks to them, the 3,000-square-foot bookstore now offers a new café, a tribute in its décor and menu to the late, legendary neighboring Rike-Kumler Department Store.

The launch of the online ABA Book Buyer's Handbook Publisher Editing feature last week has enabled publishers, distributors, and wholesalers to access their company data and submit changes for the Handbook or add special offers at any time. Within the next two weeks, ABA will complete the process of providing all companies in the Handbook with a unique access code, which will allow them to create a user name and password giving them access to their company data.

On Wednesday, November 6, booksellers and free speech advocates filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina a complaint asking that a South Carolina law be permanently enjoined. The statute criminalizes any work communicated on the Internet that is accessible in South Carolina and contains a depiction of nudity or sexual conduct considered to be "harmful to minors." Booksellers are concerned that the law could be construed to include material with sexual content sold on their Web sites.

The Women's National Book Association (WNBA) has announced its annual call for nominations of outstanding U.S. booksellers in the field of children's literature. From the nominations, two bookstores -- one general bookstore and one specialty children's store -- will be selected as winners of the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award to be presented at BookExpo America 2003.

2002

• Nov. 22 - January/February '03 Book Sense 76
  

2003

This past weekend, Rohinton Mistry, one of Canada's most celebrated authors, announced that he was canceling the remainder of his U.S. book tour due to what he characterized as racial profiling in American airports. "He was singled out at airports because of the color of his skin," said Paul Bogaards, director of publicity for Knopf, Mistry's publisher. "This is the way of the world now, and, after a time, Rohinton Mistry became uncomfortable."