News - Regional

On Saturday, April 21, the American Booksellers Association held an education program and a Booksellers Forum & Strategic Planning Session in conjunction with the Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Omaha. The free program, this year's second in the MBA region, drew about 40 bookseller attendees.

This week, the New England Independent Booksellers Association announced the establishment of the Rusty Drugan Scholarship, in memory of Wayne "Rusty" Drugan, executive director of NEIBA from 1992 to 2006. The scholarship includes three nights at the NEIBA 2007 Trade Show Headquarters Hotel and two tickets to each meal function.

The Rusty Drugan Scholarship will be awarded annually. This year, the Book Publishers Representatives of New England will be making a contribution.

On Tuesday, April 17, the American Booksellers Association held an education program and ABA Booksellers Forum & Strategic Planning Session in conjunction with the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA)'s Spring Meeting at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, California. The free program was facilitated by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher.

The American Booksellers Association will be offering a Booksellers Forum and education session in Omaha, Nebraska, and Syracuse, New York, on Saturday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 25, respectively. All members of ABA, the Midwest Booksellers Association, and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association are invited to participate in the free programs.

On Sunday, April 15, the American Booksellers Association offered a Booksellers Forum -- including the education session "Participating in the Digital Revolution" -- in conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association's (NCIBA) Spring Gathering, which was held at the Thoreau Center of the Presidio in San Francisco.

On Tuesday, April 10, the American Booksellers Association held a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) at the Louisville Marriott Downtown, home of ABA's 2008 Winter Institute) in Louisville, Kentucky.

The American Booksellers Association is inviting booksellers to a Booksellers Forum and Education Program to be held in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, May 6. The program will run from 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Chester County Book & Music Company.

This spring, the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) is offering a number of gatherings to provide booksellers from the region with local networking and learning opportunities. The meetings cover such topics as store design, community value, handselling tips, and the digital revolution.

Here is a look at the upcoming spring gatherings:

Although the attention of the book industry is currently focused on BookExpo America, which is less than 50 days away, it's not too soon to mark your calendar for the fall regional booksellers association gatherings. Most still take the form of a trade show; however, for the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, the format this year is that of a sales conference.

Here's a look at this year's schedule:

SEPTEMBER

The American Booksellers Association will be offering a Booksellers Forum and the education session "Participating in the Digital Revolution" in San Francisco and Long Beach, California, on Sunday, April 15, and Tuesday, April 17, respectively. The programs will be facilitated by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, COO Oren Teicher, and Board member Michael Tucker of San Francisco's Books Inc.

The American Booksellers Association hopes to see booksellers at a Booksellers Forum and Education Program to be held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) on Tuesday, April 10, at the Louisville Marriott Downtown (home of ABA's 2008 Winter Institute) in Louisville, Kentucky.

The American Booksellers Association held a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA) Spring Show, which ran from Thursday, March 29, through Saturday, March 31, at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin, Texas.

During the month of April, American Booksellers Association staff will be conducting five Booksellers Forums and education sessions in locations across the country, concluding with programs in Omaha, Nebraska, and Syracuse, New York, on Saturday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 25, respectively.

The American Booksellers Association will be offering a Booksellers Forum and the education session "Participating in the Digital Revolution" in both Northern and Southern California in April. The programs, which will be facilitated by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz, COO Oren Teicher, and Board member Michael Tucker of Books Inc.

On March 27, approximately 30 booksellers attended an ABA Booksellers Forum and Education Program, held in conjunction with the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) in Amherst, Massachusetts. The program was held at the National Yiddish Book Center on the grounds of Hampshire College. The event featured ABA's education session "Participating in the Digital Revolution" and a Booksellers Forum & Strategic Planning Session.