A Letter From ABA President Ann Christophersen to Booksellers

Dear Sister and Brother Booksellers,

The past months have been difficult, as our country and our industry has had to face many political and economic challenges that continue even today. I know how stressed and, at times, overwhelmed we feel in this environment and want to take a moment to encourage us all to work together to strengthen the bonds that connect us within our community of bookselling. We always learn important things from each other, and, in troubled times, we need each other's perspectives and ideas more than ever. Today's challenges make it important for us to use all our opportunities to meet and renew relationships with colleagues, near and far.

Recent regional spring meetings and the ABA Booksellers Forums have been an important time of communication, learning, and sharing for booksellers. The online Booksellers Forums at BookWeb.org have offered a venue for dialogue and cooperation for those who haven't been able to attend in-person meetings. In just a few weeks, our association's Convention, held in conjunction with BookExpo America -- from May 28 - June 1 in Los Angeles -- will give us the most comprehensive opportunity for bookselling education and rejuvenation.

Committing resources to attend our Convention is not a decision made lightly in tough times. But I believe that this year's show offers so much, that taking advantage of the Convention is a wise business decision. With the key input of ABA's Booksellers Advisory Council, the association has put together a phenomenal day of educational programming for booksellers on Thursday, May 29. There will be in-depth sessions on budgeting, technology, time management, and marketing from knowledgeable and dynamic presenters. And, in the afternoon, there will be a series of small-group discussions on key challenges in the bookstore -- everything from how to delegate tasks better, to store security, to integrating used books into your inventory mix -- five discussions in all, with time to attend three of them. Running concurrent with the morning sessions, there will also be a Large Store Roundtable, and the luncheon will have a "What Are You Reading" theme, where we will be able to share some of the titles we're most enthusiastic about with fellow booksellers. What a day!

In addition to ABA's educational programs, BEA provides a great opportunity to see publishers' fall lists; touch base with key accounts; discover new publishers; hear and be inspired by great writers at the author events, the Book Sense Luncheon, and the Reading Room; and talk, talk, talk with fellow booksellers. It's an investment, but one that I believe will pay dividends to your business throughout the year.

A keystone of the Convention is registering the continued growth and success of Book Sense, and the opportunity to contribute your ideas to making its ongoing development vibrant. Because of the hard work of both booksellers and ABA, the message of "independent bookstores for independent minds" has been heard, and one measure of the success is the growing number of our national partners, including The History Channel, Bacardi, Levenger, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic Monthly. Very soon, more major companies will be beginning alliances with us. The result will be more programs that have the potential to bring more customers to our stores and opportunities to sell more books, if we all do our part and contribute our ideas to implement these efforts in our stores. And, as you've seen, we've also begun to take some very modest advertising in our Book Sense 76 lists. Importantly, these agreements with national partners also bring in the revenue necessary to allow Book Sense to grow. There will be more information available at the Annual Town Hall and the Membership meetings at BEA, and, following the show, in Bookselling This Week.

We have the opportunity to make sure that we're there for one another in these challenging times. Let's take it. I hope to see you at BEA, and, if there's any way you think ABA could be working better on your behalf, please contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Ann Christophersen
President
American Booksellers Association

Ann Christophersen is co-owner of Women & Children First in Chicago.