Technology

A recent update to Google’s search algorithm privileges mobile-friendly websites by ranking them higher in search results on mobile devices. While this may impact searches for some bookstore websites, affected businesses should take a considered approach rather than rushing to accommodate the change.

All the Light We Cannot See wins Pulitzer Prize; NRF contest celebrates small retailers’ contributions to advocacy; BEA to host publishing technology startup competition for second year; De Gruyter to distribute Columbia University Press e-books

Recent research has found that people born between 1982 and 2004 — the generation known as Millennials — are more interested in print rather than digital reading. 

NYT article on indie bookstores shared with millions of Twitter followers; SFWA announces 2014 Nebula Award nominees; Poets & Writers introduces mobile app; PEN releases 2015 Literary Awards calendar; Young people prefer print books to digital, Washington Post reports; May 2 announced as first Canadian Authors for Indies Day; Lerner Publishing Group acquires Egmont USA’s list

Indie booksellers make way for “French Corners”; Back of Beyond Books marks 25 years; Brilliant Books sees surge in Book of the Month Club interest; Singles celebrate Valentine’s Day at Avid Bookshop

As the IndieCommerce team focuses on migrating the last several hundred stores on the Drupal 6 platform to Drupal 7 by the March 31 deadline, response times for dealing with routine issues may be affected.

Bookstores participating in the Kobo program can take advantage of a special one-time-only introductory order for the recently released Kobo Aura H2O. The deadline for ordering is Monday, October 27.

The IndieCommerce team has successfully addressed security concerns related to the Heartbleed bug. However, the next step to further secure both IndieCommerce stores and their customers is to effect a password change.

This week, the IndieCommerce team took steps to address a recently discovered OpenSSL software problem, which has been dubbed Heartbleed. Heartbleed is likely the most severe vulnerability ever discovered in basic Internet security.

As the IndieCommerce team begins to transition participating stores’ sites to the Drupal 7 platform, booksellers can keep up on all upgrade details by visiting the newly unveiled IndieCommerce informational site.

Preparations for the IndieCommerce upgrade to Drupal 7 might affect the functions of some store sites, including authorize.net accounts and store themes. As the upgrade progresses, it is increasingly important that members are informed of new action items and changes to the interface.

BISG to present first annual industry awards; More students seek illegal alternatives to textbooks; Media Coalition concludes gun violence and media connection flawed; Frommer’s to start releasing print titles; IPG and Trafalgar Square acquire new clients; 2014 BEA Global Market Forum to focus on books in translation; NCAC to host free speech benefit

World Book Night titles sales jump; Goodreads alternative Riffle now open to public; American Express study looks at small business owners’ purchasing; O’Reilly cancels Tools of Change conference; Memorial service planned for Bryan Pearce of University Bookstore

ABA is warning stores participating in the Kobo partnership that there could be unintended negative consequences to using a third-party e-mail service when distributing promotional links to customers.

On Thursday, September 6, Kobo announced a new lineup of e-readers. The news comes a week after ABA and Kobo announced an agreement for a new e-book solution for ABA member bookstores.