BTW Articles

In the next several weeks, the American Booksellers Association's Spring Booksellers Forum Tour will be making stops in St. Louis, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Portland, Maine; and Oberlin, Ohio. ABA senior staff will be at the Booksellers Forum programs to listen to booksellers' concerns, to provide updates on the association's programs and key initiatives, and to present a popular education session from last month's Winter Institute.

Praveen Madan of San Francisco's The Booksmith often brainstorms and writes about how indie bookstores can find new ways to "bring people together to talk about books and ideas." One idea that has caught on is Bookswap, an event that's gotten notice everywhere from the New York Times to book blogs.

Internet sales are integral to many bookstores' operations, and LIBRIS (League of Independent Book Retailer Insurance Services) understands that. Following last month's Winter Institute, where much of the focus was on how to promote online and e-book sales, several booksellers asked LIBRIS to clarify the coverage provided by ABA's insurance program. 

LIBRIS was developed to provide specialized coverage tailored to protect bookstores -- and that means insuring against Internet operations liability.

In addition to the three director candidates nominated by the ABA Board, any bookstore member may submit a petition in support of a director candidate for the 2010 elections. Upon receipt of a valid petition, the candidate's name will be added to the ballot to be sent to members by the end of March.

Should bookstore members wish to submit a petition in support of a director candidate, the following apply: