Click through to view the full PDF; a BookWeb username and password are required.

[6]In response to member requests for assistance in getting consumer websites to link to independent bookstores and IndieBound, the American Booksellers Association has created a customizable handout [7] that urges authors — and others — to direct browsers to indie bookstores for book sales.

Along with praise for the many choices indie bookstores offer and the ways in which they give back to their communities through jobs, charitable donations, and tax contributions, the handout includes a request: “In addition to Amazon, link to an independent bookstore for book sales. Offer your customers a choice of not only what they buy, but also where they buy.” (See the handout here [7]; a BookWeb username and password are required).

The handout is now included in the New Localism Toolkit [8], a resource launched last week by ABA that is designed to help booksellers educate their staff, their customers, elected officials, and the media about the latest relevant data regarding the localism movement. Items in the digital toolkit include FAQs and talking points, DIY materials aimed at customers, sample letters to elected officials, links to relevant information and media coverage, and more.

The toolkit is being featured at ABA’s Spring Booksellers Forums [9] as part of the new education session “Indie Bookstores and the New Localism: What You Can Do.”

ABA has also launched the consumer landing page IndieBound.org/spotlightamazon [10] to provide resources to customers looking for more information about Amazon’s growth and impact on communities.

Bookseller comments and feedback about the materials in the New Localism Toolkit can be e-mailed to ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith [11]; advocacy-related questions should be directed to ABA Senior Public Policy Analyst David Grogan [12].