As the American Booksellers Association’s offices were returning to normal operations on the Monday following Hurricane Sandy, its Member Relationship Managers were reaching out to bookstores in affected areas to assure them that ABA is available to help in any way that it can.

Among the resources and ways that ABA can help booksellers:

• At a LIBRIS policyholder’s request, ABA Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher [6] will ask a LIBRIS representative to get in touch with the store regarding damage from Hurricane Sandy. Booksellers can also contact LIBRIS directly at (888) 694-8585 or at [email protected] [7].
   
• Owners and employees of member bookstores who are experiencing an emergency financial hardship can apply for assistance from the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) at www.bincfoundation.org [8]; [email protected] [9]; or (866) 733-9064.
   
• ABA can reach out to publishers and others in the industry on a bookstore’s behalf.
   
• ABA can suspend a store’s monthly Red and White box mailings until things are settled.
   
• A staff member of Bookselling This Week can be in touch to discuss your situation, and to let fellow booksellers, publishers, and others know what's happening with you, your staff, and the store.
   
• Information about government assistance in the wake of Sandy is available at USA.gov [10] and SBA.gov [11].

Members in need of assistance in any way are encouraged to contact ABA Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher via e-mail [6]or by phone at 1-800-637-0037, ext. 6666.