About ABA

Due to a printer's error, the special postage-paid envelope for return of American Booksellers Association Board ballots to the association's accountant, KPMG, was inadvertently left out of last week's mailing to ABA bookstore members. On Monday, March 20, a second mailing -- including the envelope, another copy of the ballot and biographical data on the Board candidates, and the cover letter from ABA Nominating Committee Chair Cathy Langer of Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore -- was sent to ABA member bookstores.

On Friday, March 17, at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center in Atlanta, the American Booksellers Association held a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) and the Spring Book Show, which was at the Georgia World Congress Center from March 17 to 19.

Early next week, ABA will mail to bookstore members an envelope containing ballots to approve officers and elect directors to the ABA Board, as well as the brochure, "ABA Convention Programming at BookExpo America."

From February 28 through March 2, booksellers and publishers met in New York City for the first in a planned series of focus groups organized by the American Booksellers Association on behalf of the participating publishers. The sessions were developed as a means for publishers to meet with a cross section of ABA member booksellers to test new ideas and to garner bookseller feedback about existing programs. Also part of the three-day series of sessions was a "Moveable Feast" dinner with publishers, booksellers, and 15 authors.

The American Booksellers Association is inviting bookstore owners and staff in the Midwest to a Booksellers Forum on Saturday, April 8, at the University of Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City, Iowa. The event, which features an education component, is being held in conjunction with the Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA) Spring Meeting. All members of MBA and ABA are welcome to participate in the free program.

The American Booksellers Association staff and representatives of the Board of Directors will hold two forums in the Southern region, one in the Pacific Northwest, and one in the Midwest this weekend and the following week. All ABA and regional members -- storeowners and staff -- are invited to attend.

American Booksellers Association staff will be in San Francisco and Huntington Beach in early April for a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association's (NCIBA) Spring Gathering and the Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA) Spring Meeting, respectively. All members of ABA and the regional associations are invited to attend.

From February 23 to 25, at the Denver Marriott Tech Center in Denver, in conjunction with the Third Annual Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA) Spring Meeting, the American Booksellers Association held a Booksellers Forum and Education Program. ABA's educational offerings focused on how to use e-mail newsletters more effectively and how to manage non-book products.

On Saturday, February 25, at the McMenamins Kennedy School, in Portland, Oregon, the American Booksellers Association presented a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA). Approximately 20 booksellers attended the event, which featured the forum and the session "Creating a 'Buy Local' Campaign."

American Booksellers Association staff and representatives of the Board of Directors will be in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain & Plains regions this weekend for a Booksellers Forum and Education Program. All ABA and regional members -- storeowners and staff -- are invited to attend.

The American Booksellers Association will hold a Booksellers Forum and Education Program in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) on Wednesday, March 29, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Dublin, Ohio. All members of ABA and GLBA -- owners and staff -- are invited to attend.

Booksellers are encouraged to check out the American Booksellers Association Booksellers Resource Directory (BRD), a listing of vendors of non-book products and services, open to ABA bookstore, provisional, and publisher members. Launched in mid-November, new listings are added or updated on a regular basis.

Under the American Booksellers Association's bylaws, in addition to Board of Director candidates put forth by the Nominating Committee and approved by the Board, any bookstore member may submit a petition for a director candidate. Upon receipt of a valid petition, the Nominating Committee will add the candidate's name to the director ballot. The deadline for receipt of petitions this year is Friday, March 3.

Last week, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz sent letters to Steve Riggio, the CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc., and Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, in which he encouraged them to join the American Booksellers Association and other retailers in the fight for e-fairness.

American Booksellers Association staff and representatives of the Board will be in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain & Plains regions next weekend for a Booksellers Forum and Education Program. All ABA and regional members -- store owners and staff -- are invited to attend.

Here's a quick look at what's planned.