Main Street/Shop Local

Nine independent bookstores in Chicago, Illinois, are preparing to welcome customers for special deals, refreshments, and free books on Chicago Independent Bookstore Day, July 12, 2014.

Books & Books Westhampton Beach to sell at summer event series; Vermont Bookshop welcomes Jenny Lyons; Page & Palette educates community about buying local; Oblong Books keeps it local

As national media outlets continue to address the Hachette-Amazon controversy, ABA has developed a resource list of news reports, bookseller responses, author comments, and more to help inform the independent bookselling community and its supporters.

In the face of the Hachette-Amazon controversey, ABA has produced digital banners and stickers for booksellers to use to promote the availability of all titles at their stores. A hi-res file of the “I didn’t buy it on Amazon” sticker featured on the June 4 episode of The Colbert Report is also available.

UPS survey shows support for shopping local; BEA releases preliminary attendance figures; Children’s Book Council offers summer reading lists; Lambda Literary Awards winners announced; Jack Covert retires from 800-CEO-READ; Penguin Random House reveals new branding; De Gruyter to distribute Princeton University Press; Bookmasters to distribute h.f.ullmann

The importance of shopping at independent retailers is a message that Books Inc. has taken to the Internet in a new video that highlights the lifecycle of a book and just what makes pandas sad.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Stacy Mitchell talks to BTW about the organization’s achievements over the past 40 years, the localism movement, and the growing trend toward independently owned retail.

Bookstores participating in California Bookstore Day on May 3 reported widespread enthusiasm as they welcomed customers in for special events and literary-themed merchandise throughout the day. 

The Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week kicks off on Monday, May 12, and booksellers are encouraged to participate in webinars and online events throughout the week

On Saturday, May 3, more than 90 bookstores across the Golden State will be celebrating California Bookstore Day by hosting parties and events throughout the day and offering limited-edition literary merchandise to shoppers.

ABA will be among the co-sponsors of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week, this May 12 – 16.

All bookstores with plans to celebrate Indies First Storytime Day (May 17) should be sure they have completed the Event Detail Form on BookWeb so that their store’s location will appear on the IndieBound Event Map.

A recent study by researchers at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business shows that remote retailers do indeed enjoy a competitive advantage by not collecting sales tax at the point of sales.

Advocates for Independent Business has produced the Backgrounder on the Small Business Credit Crunch, which outlines broad policy solutions, with a focus on strengthening and expanding community banks, increasing credit union business lending, and reorienting the SBA’s loan guarantee programs.

Booksellers can now watch professional video of The Great Good Place Conversation at Winter Institute, which featured a discussion between sociologist and author Ray Oldenburg and Third Place Books owner Ron Sher.