A Report on the ABA Board of Directors' March Meeting

The American Booksellers Association Board of Directors and senior staff met in Naperville, Illinois, on Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6, 2009.

Among its activities during the two days of meetings, the Board:

• Heard reports from ABA President Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, and CEO Avin Mark Domnitz on their work on behalf of the association since the February Board meeting in conjunction with the Winter Institute.

• Spent a considerable amount of time reviewing ABA's Ends Policies and the results of a survey of ABA member services, which the Board and the Booksellers Advisory Council were asked to undertake in view of the current economic climate.

• Reviewed and discussed a white paper prepared by Chief Program Officer Len Vlahos on the history, trends, and current state of the e-book market to identify opportunities for ABA member booksellers and to determine a course of action that will help members make the most of those opportunities. (Read the e-book white paper.)

• Approved amendments to the ABA Bylaws that will allow the association to use electronic means to notify members about governance issues and for ballot distribution and voting. Currently, bookstore members must opt in to receive electronic notifications about governance issues and to receive an electronic ballot for the 2009 Board elections. The Bylaws amendments are being presented to the membership for a vote at the Annual Membership Meeting in conjunction with BookExpo America in May. (Read related story.)

• Met with Kathleen McHugh, executive director of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), which has partnered with ABA in the past on e-fairness initiatives and post-holiday surveys, to discuss ways the two associations can continue to work together.

• Reviewed correspondence between the ABA Board and William King of Merrill Lynch on the performance of the association's investment portfolio.

• Met in Executive Session to discuss ABA personnel matters.