News - Regional

On Wednesday, February 25, in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), ABA held a Bookseller Forum in the The Lansburgh Building, next door to Olsson's Books & Records in downtown Washington, D.C. Among the key topics of the forum were the Book Sense Gift Card Program, the Book Sense 76, and the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP). The forum was led by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher, with ABA Vice President Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books in Coral Gables and Miami Beach.

As part of its continuing series of Booksellers Forums, ABA recently sent invitations to booksellers in the New England and Mid-South regions asking them come together to share in discussions of matters of concern to all booksellers and to get an update on ABA programs and services. Among the topics open for discussion are sales tax initiatives, efforts to amend the USA Patriot Act, net-pricing proposals, programming for BookExpo America, Book Sense and plans for its fifth birthday celebration, the 2004 ABACUS study, and more.

On Friday, February 20, and Saturday, February 21, ABA Booksellers Forums were held in conjunction with the Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA) in Pasadena and San Diego, respectively. At both forums, ABA COO Oren Teicher provided attendees with updates on a number of ABA programs and initiatives, including the Book Sense Gift Card Program, the Campaign for Reader Privacy (www.readerprivacy.com/), and plans to celebrate the fifth birthday of Book Sense.

Pasadena Forum

Well-attended ABA/NCIBA Booksellers Forum.

On Wednesday, February 18, approximately 45 booksellers attended an ABA Booksellers Forum, hel

ABA recently extended an invitation to upper Midwest booksellers to come together at a Booksellers Forum on Saturday, March 6, at the Comfort Inn Airport, in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. The forum is part of a program that will run from 1:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA).

On Wednesday, February 25, ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher will meet with booksellers at an open forum at Olsson's Books & Records in downtown Washington, D.C. Held in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), the forum is an opportunity for booksellers to ask questions, express opinions, and discuss issues relating to ABA, NAIBA, Book Sense, bookselling in general, and more.

The first annual Booksellers' Retreat, organized by the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA), provides a unique opportunity for booksellers to leave behind the daily stress of business and get together with their peers.

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association's (GLBA) Grass Roots Cafe, which debuted at the association's October 2003 fall trade show, has been developed into a permanent feature of GLBA's Web site, offering a menu of hyperlinks to elected officials in the four main states from which the association draws its membership.

Increasing bookseller participation in political issues, including efforts to amend the USA Patriot Act and to fight for e-fairness, is the goal, said GLBA Executive Director Jim Dana.

ABA's forum tour, which provides booksellers across the country with the opportunity to meet with representatives of the ABA Board of Directors and senior staff to ask questions, express opinions, and hear about the association's activities and plans for the future, will be going to California next week.

New from Brava (a division of Kensington Publishing) is a historical romance titled The Bookseller’s Daughter by Pam Rosenthal, a former bookseller and part-owner of the Modern Times Bookstore in San Francisco. Pam is currently a computer programmer and writer, while her husband, Michael, runs the store.

On Wednesday, February 25, in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), ABA is holding its Bookseller Forum at Olsson's Books & Records in downtown Washington, D.C. Olsson’s is centrally located, with convenient access by car or public transportation.

This month, ABA will be holding three Booksellers Forums in California: On Wednesday, February 18, in conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) at its offices in The Presidio in San Francisco; on Friday, February 20, at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena; and on Saturday, February 21, at Four Points Sheraton Hotel in San Diego. The Pasadena and San Diego forums will be held in conjunction with the Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA). Representing ABA at the forums will be CEO Avin Mark Domnitz and COO Oren Teicher.

On Friday, January 23, ABA President Ann Christophersen, of Women & Children First in Chicago, sent out a letter to non-ABA member booksellers, inviting them to join the association. The letter explains that if non-member booksellers join ABA in 2004, the association will pay their 2004 regional association dues. In addition, the letter states the new members will receive one free admission badge to BookExpo America 2004 and will also receive a free subscription to the electronic and hard copy editions of Publishers Weekly for one year, courtesy of ABA.

This week, the Colorado House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of H.B. 1078, a bill that would make it illegal to allow a minor access to any material considered "harmful to minors." The bill has members of the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association (MPBA) up in arms because, MPBA contends, the bill is vague, would be impossible to uphold, and could place severe restrictions on the availability of constitutionally protected materials.

ABA's Booksellers Forum tour heads to California in February. The first of three forums will be held in conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) at its offices in The Presidio in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 18. This will be followed by forums at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena on Friday, February 20, and at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in San Diego on Saturday, February 21, both in conjunction with the Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA).