The American Booksellers Association’s Board of Directors met from May 26 – 27, 2014, in New York City, just prior to the start of BookExpo America.

Over the course of the two days, the Board worked on a range of issues.

During the meeting, the Board:

• Heard a report from ABA CEO Oren Teicher on his activities since the last full Board meeting in April, including:
  • Attending the London Book Fair with ABA President Steve Bercu;
  • Continuing his service on the World Book Night Board of Directors;
  • Attending the 25th anniversary celebration for McIntyre’s Books [6] in Pittsboro, North Carolina;
  • Presenting educational programming at two ABA Spring Forums held in conjunction with the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association and the New England Independent Booksellers Association, respectively, and — together with ABA colleagues — conducting meetings with bookstore members at the forums;
  • Joining ABA colleagues in conducting a meeting of the ABA Educational Task Force in the association’s offices in White Plains, New York;
  • Leading a site visit to the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, the site of the 2015 Winter Institute, scheduled for February 8 – 11;
  • Leading a post-event meeting of publisher sponsors of the recent Children’s Institute;
  • Traveling to Washington, D.C., for meetings with the Small Business Majority to discuss a number of policy issues and with congressional offices to advocate on behalf of sales tax fairness legislation;
  • Attending the 2014 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards ceremony, where ABFFE President Chris Finan was honored for his recent book, National Security and Free Speech: The Debate Since 9/11.

• Received a report from ABA President Steve Bercu of BookPeople [7] in Austin, Texas, on his activities on behalf of the association, including his participation at April’s London Book Fair on a panel with Sion Hamilton, retail operations director of Foyles in London, and Hiroshi Sogo, the managing director of AsianBasis Corporation, a subsidiary of the Japanese bookstore chain Books Kinokuniya, that focused on how their respective bookstores are adapting to the rapidly changing market.
   
• Welcomed newly elected Board director Jamie Fiocco of Flyleaf Books [8] in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and re-elected Board members John Evans of DIESEL, A Bookstore [9], with locations in Brentwood, Larkspur, Malibu, and Oakland, California, and Matthew Norcross of McLean & Eakin Booksellers [10] in Petoskey, Michigan.
   
• Heard a report on a recent series of publisher visits that Mr. Bercu, ABA Vice President Betsy Burton of The King’s English Bookshop [11] in Salt Lake City, Utah, Mr. Teicher, and Senior Program Officer Joy Dallanegra-Sanger had conducted to discuss issues of mutual interest.
   
• Were briefed on the upcoming BookExpo America trade show and BookPOP consumer event by Steve Rosato, event director for BookExpo America, and Lance Fensterman, global vice president of ReedPOP.
   
• Heard a report from Senior Program Officer Ms. Dallanegra-Sanger on the first Indies First Storytime Day, which occurred on May 17, and on April’s Children’s Institute, as well as an update on the Indies First initiative.
   
• Received a briefing from ABA Content Officer Dan Cullen on the April 29 meeting of the ABA Educational Task Force, and an update from Mr. Cullen and Ms. Dallanegra-Sanger on the ongoing development of programming for the 2015 Winter Institute.
   
• Met with William King, senior vice president of Merrill Lynch, and Kevin A. Joy, vice president, institutional sales, Heartland Advisors, who reviewed the performance of the association’s investment portfolio.
   
• Heard an update on California Bookstore Day, which was held on May 3, from two Board members located in the state — John Evans of DIESEL, A Bookstore [9] and Ken White of Books Inc [12]. —  and discussed what role ABA might play in future similar events. 
   
• Received a briefing on a number of tech-related issues from Member Technology Director Neil Strandberg, including the IndieCommerce’s migration from Drupal 6 to Drupal 7.
   
• Met with Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House; Madeline McIntosh, president and COO of Penguin Random House; and Ruth Liebmann, vice president, director, account marketing for Penguin Random House, for a working lunch.