About ABA

This fall's Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA) Trade Show has a new venue -- the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs -- but its usual array of great educational offerings, special events, and vendor exhibits will still be there.

The New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) will hold its 35th Annual Fall Trade Show from Thursday, September 18, through Saturday, September 20, at the Hynes Convention Center, in Boston.

The American Booksellers Association's Board of Directors held its summer meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, from Sunday, July 27, through Tuesday, July 29. The meeting began with an orientation to introduce new Board members Dan Chartrand of Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Ken White of SFSU Bookstore in San Francisco to the association's policies and procedures.

Booksellers interested in participating in, or learning more about, the Booksellers Print-to-Order (PTO) Publishing Program, launched by the American Booksellers Association and Applewood Books in July, can now find answers to frequently asked questions as well as a letter of agreement on BookWeb.org.

The 2008 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from Monday, September 15, through Wednesday, September 17, in Portland, Oregon, at the Airport Holiday Inn. Among the show's highlights are Monday's many education sessions and the new Nightcapper Party, Tuesday's Feast of Authors, and Wednesday's Celebration of Authors.

Over the past few months, the ABA E-Commerce Solution has been undergoing a major overhaul. The site is migrating to the open-source platform Drupal, which will provide users with new and improved administrative tools, better performance and reliability, and a shorter path to new features and functionality. The new open-source platform is scheduled for fall 2008 release.

This fall, the American Booksellers Association will be presenting education sessions at each of the nine regional booksellers association gatherings. At the top of the list at every show is IndieBound, the new ABA initiative that celebrates independents and supports localism. Other ABA sessions vary from show to show, but here's a first look at what's on the agenda at each. Updates and complete details, including times and presenters, will be provided in the coming weeks in BTW's fall regional trade show previews.

As individuals and businesses nationwide look to counter the effects of the struggling economy, the American Booksellers Association reminds booksellers to check out the dollars-and-cents savings available to all Regular Bookstore Members.

This week, the American Booksellers Association announced a partnership with Applewood Books that will enable ABA member booksellers to publish out-of-print books on demand. The new program will provide participating booksellers with the ability to publish any title that is in the public domain or any book, such as a local interest title, whose rights have reverted to the author and to sell it at margins from 50 to 75 percent.

As BTW reported in June, American Booksellers Association staff members are taking to the road this summer for a series of IndieBound information sessions, where they'll answer questions, share ideas, and help booksellers position their stores to take full advantage of the many opportunities that this exciting

Preliminary figures recently released by the Bureau of the Census reflect an increase in bookstore sales in May 2008 of 2.6 percent, compared to May 2007. May 2008 bookstore sales are estimated at $1,154 million, compared to sales of $1,125 million for the same period last year.

The Census Bureau also adjusted its preliminary estimates of April 2008 bookstore sales upward to $1,002 million, putting them at 8.2 percent above April 2007.

Last week, the American Booksellers Association continued its environmental efforts on behalf of member booksellers by participating in the Book Industry Environmental Council's first meeting.

Crooks don't take the summer off, so bookstore owners and managers hiring seasonal help will do well to remind newcomers as well as experienced booksellers to be vigilant about scams and fraudulent orders.

To help booksellers in their efforts to thwart would-be thieves, here's a brief rundown of some frauds and schemes reported in the past by ABA members:

The American Booksellers Association Board of Directors and senior staff met at the 2008 Hotel ABA, the Renaissance Hollywood, on Tuesday, May 27, and Wednesday, May 28, prior to the start of BookExpo America.

Over the course of the two days, the Board and staff:

Gayle Shanks ABA President

Dear Fellow Booksellers,