Registration for the American Booksellers Association’s ninth annual Winter Institute, to be held on January 21 - 24, 2014, at The Westin Seattle in Seattle, Washington, is now open.

This month closes with the SCIBA and NAIBA trade shows, where ABA and the Small Business Majority will present the education session “Health Care Reform and the Bookstore: How It Affects You Now.” This session will provide booksellers with detailed and actionable information about the Affordable Care Act, specifically tailored to states in the region.

The local currency program BerkShares is celebrating its seventh anniversary of keeping local dollars in the community. More than four million BerkShares have circulated since the program’s inception and the number of participating businesses has grown to more than 400.

One e-book promotion was recently added to the IndieCommerce Publisher Promotions page in the category of science fiction and fantasy. 

A flood of positive responses from authors and booksellers followed last week’s announcement of Indies First, the grassroots movement initiated by Sherman Alexie, who called on his fellow authors to support independent booksellers by volunteering at a store of their choice on Small Business Saturday, November 30, 2013.

In his bimonthly letter, ABA President Steve Bercu discusses recent industry happenings, invites booksellers to take advantage of the association’s programming on the Affordable Care Act at the regional shows, and more.

Community support bolsters Iconoclast Books; Edgewater Books opens; Bookbound and DIESEL, Larkspur, to host grand opening celebrations; Indies featured in the American Conservative

ABA will be presenting its second Children’s Institute, hosted by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA, on Monday, April 7, 2014, in San Antonio, Texas. Participants will be welcomed at an opening reception on Sunday evening, April 6.

National Book Foundation to honor E.L. Doctorow, Maya Angelou; Judy Blume to receive NAIBA’s Legacy and Carla Cohen Free Speech awards; Hugo Award winners announced; Amazon begins collecting sales tax in Georgia and Virginia

Ellen Stimson, author of the October Indie Next List pick Mud Season: How One Woman’s Dream of Moving to Vermont, Raising Children, Chickens and Sheep, and Running the Old Country Store Pretty Much Led to One Calamity After Another, is offering her ear to bookstore customers in a unique promotion.