A Report on the Summer 2006 ABA Board Meeting

The American Booksellers Association's Board of Directors held its summer meeting in Essex, Vermont, from Thursday, July 6, through Sunday, July 9. The meeting began in the late afternoon on Thursday with an orientation to introduce new Board members Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville, Illinois, and Beth Puffer of Bank Street Bookstore in New York City to the association's policies and procedures.

Over the course of the following three days, the Board:

• Received a detailed report on the association's implementation of the 2006 Strategic Plan from ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz.
  
  
• Heard a report from ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana, about his activities on behalf of the association.
  
  
• Convened with booksellers Dan Chartrand of Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, New Hamphsire, and Dale Szczeblowski of Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the Strategic Planning Committee, to review the goals and objectives of the fifth year of the current Strategic Plan, as well as the steps to be taken in 2007 for a new plan. The meeting was facilitated by Dietmar Grimm of the Redstone Strategy Group.
  
  
• Adopted the report of the Governance Review Committee, which includes a formal policy regarding the posting of ABA financial and governance documents to the association's trade website, BookWeb.org.
  
  
• Voted to establish an Audit Committee to assist in the review of ABA finances.
  
  
• Reviewed the report given to the Board at this year's Annual Membership Meeting by Ed Morrow of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont.
  
  
• Met with representatives from Houghton Mifflin and Beacon Press as part of a continuing series of meetings with publishers to discuss issues of importance to independent booksellers.
  
  
• Heard a report from ABA COO Oren Teicher about this year's BookExpo America and reviewed plans for BEA 2007, which will be held on June 1 - 3 in New York City.
  
  
• Received a report on the Booksellers Advisory Council meeting, which was held immediately following BEA.
  
  
• Discussed plans for the Second Annual Winter Institute to be held in Portland, Oregon, on February 1 - 2, 2007.
  
  
• Reviewed reports on Book Sense and other ABA programs prepared by association staff.
  
  
• Discussed plans for ABA participation in the regional association fall trade shows.
  
  
• Reviewed the association's June 30, 2006, Financial Report and a preliminary budget for the 2006 - 2007 fiscal year. The Board also reviewed ABA's investment portfolio with William King of Merrill Lynch.

On Friday, July 7, the Board and ABA staff attended a reception hosted by Board member Linda Ramsdell of Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, Vermont, for Rep. Bernie Sanders, a candidate for the U.S. Senate. At the reception, Sanders once again expressed his thanks to booksellers for their support in the fight to amend the USA Patriot Act to ensure reader privacy.