Don’t miss out on any of ABA’s programming at BEA. Here’s an overview of education sessions, plenaries, author signings, special events, and bookseller-related BEA programs running from Tuesday, May 28, through Saturday, June 1. 

The American Booksellers Association, Inc. and subsidiaries consolidated financial statements (with the independent auditors’ report) are available to ABA bookstore members in PDF format on BookWeb.org.

As ABA President Becky Anderson prepares for her last Board meeting, she looks back at some of the changes over the past seven years, reminds booksellers of some work yet to be done, and extends sincere thanks to both her fellow Board members and bookselling colleagues.

ABA has signed an agreement with Independent Merchant Group Inc., an independent merchant services auditing and consulting firm that will put its extensive knowledge of the credit card industry to work for booksellers to achieve the best possible rates with a store’s current credit card processor.

In his bimonthly letter to members, ABA CEO Oren Teicher offers congratulations to booksellers for their years of hard work that led to the recent passage of the Main Street Fairness Act in the Senate, but he notes, with opposition to the bill ratcheting up in the House, more action is required.

ABA offers booksellers a range of resources to help them operate their businesses in a professional and profitable manner, including educational programming and supporting handouts, financial benchmarking tools, unique marketing materials, and more. The newly redesigned BookWeb’s Professional Bookselling section puts all these tools at members’ fingertips.

ABA will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, May 30, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Room 1E12/13 of the Javits Convention Center during BEA. It will be preceded by the Town Hall, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., also in Javits’ Room 1E12/13. All ABA members are encouraged to attend.

ABA has signed on to be the primary sponsor for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation’s first-ever benefit concert. The Sips & Songs Concert will be held on June 8 at Woodruff’s in Ypsilanti, Michigan’s historic Depot Town. All proceeds will benefit Binc’s programs to assist bookstore employees experiencing personal financial crisis.

The results of balloting by the bookstore members of the American Booksellers Association to choose a new president, vice president, and three Board directors are now official.

ABA member booksellers and non-members alike are invited to join ABA CEO Oren Teicher, Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, Content Officer Dan Cullen, and Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher at [words] bookstore in Maplewood, New Jersey, next Wednesday, May 8, for an education session and an open forum discussion.