Spring Forums to Wrap Up in April in Boulder, San Francisco, New York

The American Booksellers Association is inviting ABA members and non-members alike to its last three Booksellers Forums of the season. The events, held in conjunction with the regional booksellers associations, will take place on Friday, April 8, in Boulder, Colorado; on Sunday, April 10, in San Francisco, California; and on Tuesday, April 19, in New York City.

At each, ABA will be presenting the education session “Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do.” The program is a follow-up to the New Localism panel at Winter Institute 11 and the release of the Civic Economics study “Amazon & Empty Storefronts.” In conjunction with the education program, ABA has released the New Localism Toolkit to help booksellers educate customers, other indie businesses, and elected officials about the latest relevant data regarding the localism movement.

Here’s a look at ABA’s programs:

• Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do
  Data from a recent study, commissioned by ABA, suggests that the localism movement is now at a transition point and indie booksellers, indie retailers, and downtown community associations have an opportunity to refocus their efforts and bring about real change in public policy and perception. At this education session, ABA will report on the Civic Economics study “Amazon and Empty Storefronts: The Fiscal and Land Use Impact of Online Retail” and provide important resources and data to help all booksellers communicate the “new” localism message to colleagues, customers, community members, elected officials, and the media.
• ABA Booksellers Forum Discussion
  ABA CEO Oren Teicher will lead an open discussion of industry issues. Attendees help guide the agenda of the forum, so all are encouraged to come with their questions, comments, and concerns.

Here are the schedules:

Friday, April 8, in Boulder, Colorado, in conjunction with the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s Spring Meeting

The event will be held at the Boulder Public Library, Boulder Creek Meeting Room, 1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

ABA’s programs will be held at the following times:

• 10:00: a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do
• 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.:  Booksellers Forum over lunch

MPIBA Presents: From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., MPIBA will present the program “Love Your Library,” an interactive discussion of ways booksellers and librarians can work together for fun and profit.

Members of the MPIBA Advisory Council will meet from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. From 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., MPIBA will host an author reception at the Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

For details about the Spring Meeting, visit the MPIBA website.

Sunday, April 10, in San Francisco, California, in conjunction with the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association’s Spring Gathering

The event will be held at the NCIBA Office at The Thoreau Center (Presidio National Park), 1007 General Kennedy Avenue, San Francisco, California 94129.

ABA’s programs will be held at the following times:

• 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Booksellers Forum
• 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do

NCIBA Presents: The NCIBA Spring Gathering offers a full day of programming that begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and a continental breakfast. Following ABA’s “Indie Bookstores and the New Localism,” NCIBA will offer an idea exchange for Independent Bookstore Day, an author reception, buffet lunch, rep picks, and the sessions “Creating a Welcoming Environment for Readers With Special Needs,” “Finding Great Booksellers & Keeping Them Happy,” and “Time for a Toast!” Times and other details about the Spring Gathering can be found on the NCIBA website.

Tuesday, April 19, in New York, New York, in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association

The program will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the law offices of Arent Fox, Conference Room 34C/D, 1675 Broadway (between 52nd and 53rd streets), New York, New York 10019.

• 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do
• 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.: Booksellers Forum over lunch

For planning purposes, booksellers who will be attending the New York forum are asked to RSVP to ABA Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick by Thursday, April 14.