FREADOM and OLIVIA Coming to Book Sense Gift Cards

At this year's Book Sense Gift Card Users Group meeting at BookExpo America, ABA Marketing Director Jill Perlstein announced forthcoming gift card designs sure to appeal to a wide range of independent bookstore customers.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is sponsoring the FREADOM Book Sense gift card. The card and matching presenter feature an illustration by Roger Roth from The American Story: 100 True Tales From American History, courtesy of Random House Children's Books. Last year, booksellers sold more than 3,200 FREADOM gift cards and raised more than $8,500 for ABFFE's vital First Amendment work.

ABFFE will provide the cards for free -- covering the cost of the card, the matching presenter, and the 50 cents per card transaction fee. In return, stores agree to donate 10 percent of the gift card sale to ABFFE. Stores are responsible for other gift card fees, including shipping and handling and charges for adding a store logo, if desired. (The American Booksellers Association will track sales, deduct the donation, and transfer funds to ABFFE on a specific date in 2008 to be determined.)

A popular item year-round, the FREADOM card is especially relevant for sales leading up to Banned Books Week (this year, September 29 - October 6). It also makes a great gift for students, teachers, librarians, and others concerned about censorship and First Amendment issues.

Orders for the FREADOM gift card must be received by Wednesday, June 27. Reservations are currently being accepted via e-mail to [email protected].

This summer, children's favorite pig, OLIVIA, from the bestselling books by Ian Falconer, will be featured on Book Sense gift cards sponsored by the books' publisher, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. The cards and presenters -- featuring OLIVIA and the tagline "Reading never wears you out!" -- will be available on the Book Sense gift card reorder website by the end of August. Book Sense will notify gift card participants shortly before the cards become available, and orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is covering the cost of the card, the transaction fee, and the presenter. Booksellers will pay to add an imprint, if desired, and all other associated Book Sense Gift Card Program costs and fees, including increments and shipping and handling fees. Quantities will be limited to 100 generic cards and presenters or 250 imprinted cards and presenters per bookstore member, while supplies last.

Book Sense gift card stores should be on the lookout for an announcement about the OLIVIA Book Sense gift cards coming this summer.

Questions should be addressed to Perlstein at [email protected] or to Linda Ford at [email protected].