Industry News

What should have been a simple transaction almost got Vroman's Bookstore Vice President/General Manager Karen Watkins arrested.

As Watkins tells it, on July 31, a group of three customers brought a box of 4" x 6" writing journals up to the register at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, California. The cashier began scanning the journals -- 11 journals priced at $4.95 each -- and gave the customers the total price.

There were two problems, however.

First, the cashier overcharged the customers by about $5.

Win a color inkjet printer at the upcoming fall regional trade shows.

At the upcoming fall regional trade shows, ABA is offering independent booksellers programming that includes sessions on financial operations and succession planning.

By Ken Paulson

In a First Amendment Center/American Journalism Review survey, nearly half of those responding said they think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. And about the same number said the American press has been too aggressive in asking government officials for information about the war on terrorism. Full survey results are available at www.freedomforum.org.

Fear can short-circuit freedom.

By Robin Whitten

As a bookseller you understand how important it is to know your customers. With audiobook listeners it is no less important, but it's probably harder for many booksellers, who may not be listeners themselves, to get a handle on who the listeners are and where they listen.

American banks increased their micro-business loans by 10.1 percent in 2001, according to "Micro-Business-Friendly Banks in the United States," a report issued in August by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

NBC's The Today Show has announced that the latest selection of its book club is A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel (Broadway Books). In its Doubleday hardcover edition, Kimmel's memoir of small town life was a Book Sense 76 Top Ten selection for the March/April 2001 list.

Now there's one more reason for booksellers to visit the ABA booth at the upcoming regional booksellers association fall trade shows -- the chance to win a brand-new color inkjet printer.

If your bookstore is planning any special activities or commemorations for September 11, and you would like to participate in related Bookselling This Week coverage, please e-mail us at [email protected].

Many thanks in advance for your help.

By Carl Lennertz

Tip of the Week:

Like the Car Guys and their Puzzler, Tip Guy is still on hiatus.

Full blurbs are up for the two latest 76s at http://www.bookweb.org/read/1474

Based on the last four weeks of sales from over 350 independent bookstores across America.

Thanks to all the stores that report, the new expanded electronic reporting options, and the software our team here has built to sort and slice a ton of data according to BISAC categories, this is the latest of many subject category lists to run in BTW. These are intended as inventory checking tools for booksellers, alerts to publishers as to what’s selling, and lists that the media can run.

The Book Sense Bestseller lists are currently carried in over 60 local and national newspapers and magazines, and each month the number continues to grow. In addition to publishing the national list, national media, industry publications, and local newspapers are carrying Book Sense regional bestseller lists and specialty bestseller lists.

By Carl Lennertz

Knowing that a Monday holiday means an extra hectic week for you, we’d like to experiment this coming September 3 with an extra day of reporting sales to the Book Sense Bestseller List.

The 2002 Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) Fall Trade Show will be held from October 4 - 6 at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, California. NCIBA's goal for the upcoming show is to provide booksellers with a show experience that is "energizing, informative, and enjoyable," said Hut Landon, executive director for NCIBA.

While grown men playing a child's game threaten to strike again, a group of children showed a Massachusetts community what baseball's really all about -- fun.

By Jennifer Anglin of The Enchanted Forest

The noted children's bookstore The Enchanted Forest in Dallas is closing. Here, owner Jennifer Anglin shares a letter about how she reached her decision, and what bookselling has meant to her.