About ABA

ABA member booksellers attending this year's BookExpo America (BEA) will be eligible to win some fabulous prizes by picking up their ABA welcome kit at the Hotel ABA Chicago or by visiting the ABA/Book Sense Lounge at the McCormick Place Convention Center.

On Tuesday, May 18, the New England Booksellers Association (NEBA) and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) held a joint Shop Talk at the Holiday Inn Carrier Circle in East Syracuse, New York, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The event was the brainchild of Rob Stahl of Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton, New York, who approached NEBA and NAIBA about facilitating a meeting for the booksellers of central New York, who often must travel long distances to make it to regional meetings.

In a break from the past, ABA's presence at this year's BookExpo America (BEA) will be centralized in the ABA/Book Sense Lounge rather than split between the lounge and a booth on the trade show floor. The ABA/Book Sense Lounge, in Room 401, will feature all the usual information and services provided at ABA's trade floor booth, as well as a place to kick back, relax, and check e-mail. The Lounge is situated close to all of ABA's educational programming.

ABA member booksellers who have registered for BookExpo America (BEA) should be on the lookout for a mailing from the association that includes a letter from ABA President Ann Christophersen, updated information about ABA programming, special invitations, hotel shuttle bus information, special offers from Publishers Weekly and BookSense.com, and much more.

As part of its extensive educational programming at BookExpo America (BEA), ABA is sponsoring a three-day booksellers school facilitated by Donna Paz and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates. "Fundamentals of Independent Bookselling: Strategies for Opening & Growing a Profitable Business" will be held from Wednesday, June 2, to Friday, June 4, at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.

This week, ABA announced that it has added a new session, "2003 ABACUS Results Review," to its programming at this year's BookExpo America (BEA). The ABACUS seminar will be held on Sunday, June 6, from 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. in Room 402A at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.

Once again, ABA members attending BookExpo America will have an opportunity to get a full update on ABA activities, share their concerns, and voice their opinions to the association's leadership.

Once again, ABA members attending BookExpo America will have an opportunity to get a full update on ABA activities, share their concerns, and voice their opinions to the association's leadership.

On Wednesday, May 5, ABA's winter/spring Booksellers Forum tour concluded in Pittsboro, North Carolina, with a program that was postponed in January due to inclement weather. ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher conducted the forum, which was held in conjunction with the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) at McIntyre's Fine Books at Fearrington Village. Topics at the forum ranged from the Book Sense Gift Card Program to the BookSense.com Co-op Reimbursement Program to the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP).

The results of ABA's semi-annual annual revenue survey of bookstore members indicate that almost 65 percent of the 243 reporting stores saw their sales increase, as compared to 2002. Meanwhile, 35 percent experienced a decline in sales in 2003, as compared to 2002.

Just over 26 percent of respondents saw sales increases of five percent or less, while 20.6 percent saw sales increases of more than five, but less than 10 percent, and 17.7 percent saw sales rise more than 10 percent over 2002.