125 Years of ABA: Past Presidents On Challenging Times

By Zoe Perzo - April 16, 2025

Even as we celebrate 125 years of ABA, we find ourselves in a challenging time for booksellers. Alongside rampant book ban legislation, booksellers are experiencing increased harassment, Amazon continues to gain power, and the economic situation is…unpredictable.

But booksellers are no strangers to challenge.

Over the years, ABA Board Presidents have written to the membership in response to challenges, exciting events, or even just to check in.

Some of these presidents served during historic times like the 2008 recession or the early COVID days, others were just facing the comparatively normal (but ever-present) challenges of running a bookstore. But all of them believed in the importance of indie bookstores and were bolstered and comforted by the community they found in other ABA members.

Here is a collection of quotes from just some of the past presidents who found themselves leading ABA membership through challenging times. While many of their issues are still relevant today, so too is their determination and faith in their bookstore community.

“My bookstore colleagues and bookstore customers sustain me.”
— Tegan Tigani, ABA Board President (2023–2025), Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, WA)

“From the start, I recognized that a bookstore serves a larger purpose than simply selling books. What lifts it above ordinary retail is its role as a community center, a forum for discussion, and a cathedral of ideas. Keeping a bookstore going carries a deep sense of responsibility, but it also can be especially gratifying as a form of service to the community.”

— Bradley Graham, ABA Board President (2021), Politics and Prose (Washington, D.C.)

“Honestly, I bet it’s been possible at any given time in ABA’s history to say ‘independent bookselling is at a pivotal time.’ I believe we’re still here because we’re a fierce bunch: leaders, thinkers, activists, organizers, collaborators, and builders. We do not give up easily, and a challenge is often an opportunity for positive change. We’ve always been strong because of our diversity; we’re nimble and resourceful, and each day we give a nod to tradition and embrace the future. It’s fantastic to hear the success stories — retiring owners selling to younger booksellers, new stores and new store formats opening up — but at the same time, there are a lot of us struggling to make a living in bookselling despite doing ‘all the right things.’ ”

— Jamie Fiocco, ABA Board President (2019–2021), Flyleaf Books (Chapel Hill, NC)

“So much has changed in our world and in the literary landscape over these years — ups and downs in the economy, new methods and forms in which to sell books, new opportunities, and, most of all, the gut realization that we are here to stay and not just surviving, but thriving.”
— Becky Anderson, ABA Board President (2011–2013), Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville, IL)

“We are all such important cultural centers in our communities. I have to believe that in spite of the downturn in the economy, we will survive and prosper.”
— Gayle Shanks, ABA Board President (2008–2009), Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)

“You really have to have your roots deep in the community. That's what distinguishes us from other retail entities that sell books. We must make note of that and celebrate it whenever we can.”
— Mitchell Kaplan, ABA Board President (2004–2006), Books & Books (Coral Gables, FL)

All of these quotes were pulled from letters from the Board Presidents to the membership or from BookWeb interviews during their Board service.

Stay tuned as we share more nuggets of wisdom from past ABA Board Presidents throughout the year.