Industry News

"Book Club Night," held Monday, March 4, at Newton, Massachusetts-based Newtonville Books was an event that the store hoped would achieve a number of goals. First, the store hoped to bring book clubs, and people interested in joining them, together. Second, it wanted to show book club members the importance of a knowledgeable bookseller in choosing a title. Third, it was an opportunity to find out what the clubs wanted from Newtonville Books.

In its quest to "Bring the Past Alive," the History Channel is offering a number of documentaries based on outstanding books of nonfiction.

Scholastic has reached an agreement to acquire the noted children’s publisher Klutz from Corus Entertainment of Canada for an initial payment of approximately $43 million. The March 4 announcement noted that the deal was structured to include possible additional payments should Klutz reach certain performance goals over the next three years.

This April, booksellers can celebrate National Poetry Month with a custom poetry CD (which was exclusively produced for participating Book Sense stores, by Sourcebooks, publisher of the book and CD set, Poetry Speaks) and a poetry writing contest for high school students. Stores can use the offerings -- from "Poets Speak Back, A Poetry Writing Contest," sponsored by Sourcebooks and Book Sense -- as the basis of their National Poetry Month events or as a complement to planned readings and activities.

Imagine you have arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, with your 12 sled dogs, ready to ride the rugged 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail to Nome. Even under the best of conditions, you might be traveling for almost a month; the nights are very long, and you cannot fit a human companion on your sled. Question: What are you going to bring to read?

Avin Mark Domnitz, ABA CEO, will join Jim Milliot of Publishers Weekly, and David D. Kirkpatrick of the New York Times to talk about the book publishing industry on C-SPAN’s The Business of Books. The participants discuss the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the industry, including some of the books that were directly affected, as well as the potential impact of post-September 11 legislation.

The late Ken Kesey, noted author and Oregon legend, resisted conformity in every aspect of his life.

On February 19, Arizona U.S. District Judge Alfredo C. Marquez permanently enjoined the Arizona statute criminalizing the intentional transmission over the Internet of materials considered to be "harmful to minors." The court found the statute to be unconstitutional under both the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) spoke out in favor of the privacy of bookstore customer records in a February 26 hearing before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee. State legislation was introduced earlier this month that would limit the circumstances in which police can seek search warrants or subpoenas for purchase records.

The power of song can champion world problems in a manner that few mediums can match. Now, Deborah Pardes, a San Francisco singer/songwriter who in 2000 founded the San Francisco-based Songs Inspired by Literature (SIBL) Project, thinks music can help literacy programs -- especially if she gets a little help from her friends, independent booksellers.

The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) has recently launched the online title resource "Books for Understanding," which offers a comprehensive listing of university press books that shed light on current events. "We’re hoping it will be useful to booksellers … who have people coming in and asking ‘Where can I learn more about these topics?’" said Brenna McLaughlin, communications manager for the not-for-profit AAUP.

Since 1980, Thomas Cook, the U.K.-based travel giant, has been honoring the art of travel writing with its annual Travel Book Award, announced each fall. Aside from inspiring readers to travel, the award also spurs greater travel-book sales, according to Thomas Cook spokesperson Joan Lee. "Booksellers benefit … by the increased sales generated by the promotion of the [Travel Book] Award," Lee said in a statement.

Buying computer hardware and software often can be a daunting task for any business, but now ABA is offering a new member-benefit to make the job easier and more convenient. ABA’s new group-buying program partner, CDW Computer Centers, Inc., is offering customized technology solutions for independent booksellers -- often at discounted prices.

Booksellers to Celebrate Their Kinship with Small Presses

In talking to booksellers, it’s apparent that they feel a special camaraderie with small presses. The small press’s ability to offer a unique, independent voice and a breadth of choice in many ways mirrors their own talent for offering the consumer insight and individual attention.

Special ABA programming on Saturday, May 4, at the 2002 BookExpo America (BEA) in New York City will offer a wide range of networking opportunities with other booksellers, and a chance to learn the latest on ABA programs from association staff.