ABA's Educational Programming Schedule for BEA

In response to booksellers' requests and in an effort to give more time to make plans for BookExpo America 2005, to be held June 2 - 5 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, ABA is providing below a preliminary programming schedule for the convention. Please note that additional information regarding specific presenters and panelists was being confirmed at press time. Watch BTW for continued in-depth coverage of ABA's educational offerings at BEA.

Highlights include:

• On Wednesday, June 1, an all-day booksellers school;
• On Thursday, June 2, ABA's All-Day Education Program (free to all owners and employees of ABA member bookstores who have registered for BEA);
• On Friday, June 3, ABA's Celebration of Bookselling caps a busy day that includes the Book Sense Picks Luncheon, Annual ABA Town Hall Meeting, ABA Membership Meeting, and two Book Sense Users Group meetings;
• On Saturday, June 4, the Book & Author Breakfast and Luncheon, a session on the USA Patriot Act and Independent Retailing in the U.S., the Book Sense Reading Room, and a Cruise Around Manhattan;
• On Sunday, June 5, the Book & Author Breakfast

Our third annual "Day of Education" centers on profitability. Based of the results of the 2005 Education Survey, distributed to ABA members last fall, this program is designed to meet the needs of booksellers by providing a rich and thorough series of educational offerings with one goal in mind: to help you increase your store's bottom line. Open to all ABA members, this full day of education--including lunch--is free of charge, but you must register in advance through BEA. BEA will provide you with a "Thursday Lunch" ticket which must be presented in order to be admitted to the lunch.

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

George Soros: In Conversation With Peter Osnos, His Publisher
Room: Special Events Hall

The ABA is proud and pleased to welcome George Soros and Peter Osnos as guests at our morning plenary session.

George Soros is the author of eight books, including The Bubble of America Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power (PublicAffairs, January 2004), and a new book to be published by PublicAffairs in the fall of 2005. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC and one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. He is chairman of the Open Society Institute and the founder of a network of philanthropic organizations that are active in more than 50 countries. Based primarily in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union -- but also in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States -- these foundations are dedicated to building and maintaining the infrastructure and institutions of an open society. In the 1990s, ABA worked with George Soros and the Open Society Institute to offer a series of Booksellers Schools in the emerging democracies in Eastern Europe.

Peter Osnos is the publisher and chief executive of PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group. He was previously publisher of Random House's Times Books Division from 1991 to 1996 and, before that, was a vice president and associate publisher of the Random House imprint.

9:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
The 2% Solution -- An Introduction to Profitability
Room: 1B 04-05
Presented by Chuck Robinson, Village Books, Bellingham, Washington
("The 2% Solution" is being presented for those booksellers who have not been able to attend this session in the past.)

This seminar -- offered around the country over the last year and very well-received by bookseller attendees - will look at the drivers of bookstore profitability and examine how these can be used to move your business to greater profitability. Specific suggestions and ideas on how a bookseller can work on sales, gross margin, total compensation, and occupancy expenses will be provided. The ABACUS Study of independent bookstore operations showed that the average profitability of all respondents was -1.4%. While moving from negative profitability to +2% is a long journey, this seminar will help you start mapping a new course.

The following five morning sessions emanate directly from "The 2% Solution," providing in-depth examinations of issues related to margin, sales, payroll, cost of goods sold, and occupancy expenses. Booksellers having previously attended a presentation of "The 2% Solution" are encouraged to select from among these sessions, some of which are offered twice in succession, allowing you and your staff the opportunity to attend as many of the programs as possible:

9:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (Special extended session)
Increasing Margin: An Advanced Course in Growing Your Bottom Line
Room: 1B 03
Presented by Avin Mark Domnitz, CEO, American Booksellers Association

Controlling margin can seem an overwhelming task to many booksellers, but it doesn't have to be. This session will show how affecting gross profit margin can lead to increased profitability.

Intended for booksellers already familiar with principles of inventory management, this content-rich session will compare and contrast a profitable and unprofitable bookstore, covering a wide range of material, including: controlling product mix, direct versus wholesale ordering, electronic ordering, understanding the value of early payment discounts, better managing seasonal title orders, and more.

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Increasing Sales
Room: 1C 01-02
Presented by Russ Lawrence, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

Simply put, profitability is the difference between revenue and expense. The greater the difference in favor of revenue, the more profitable your business will be.

This nuts and bolts session will focus on strategies for increasing sales. You'll be exposed to ideas for bringing more customers into the store, including the use of co-op, Web sites, and e-mail. You'll learn how to sell more to customers once you get them through the door, including improving traffic flow, best merchandising practices, and loyalty programs. And, you'll hear about the value of increasing sales outside the store.

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Cost of Goods Sold 101
Room: 1C 03
Presented by Len Vlahos, Director, BookSense.com

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is a mystery to many booksellers. What is it? How is it calculated? Why is it important? This session will demystify COGS and help show you why it's so crucial to understanding the financial health of your business.

Designed for booksellers less experienced in dealing with inventory management issues and financial analysis, the material will show how the "Retail Inventory Method" can be used for calculating COGS. Using real-world examples, you'll be shown how an accurate accounting of inventory and payables can lead any bookseller toward increased profitability.

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
It's in the Payroll!
Room: 1B 01-02
Presented by Len Vlahos, Director, BookSense.com

The book business has euphemistically been referred to as a "2% business." In other words, bookstores that operated at a 2% profit (net before tax) were thought to be doing OK. Unfortunately, profits have slipped dramatically over the years, and today, the average bookshop shows a pre-tax net loss.

The focus of this session is payroll control. Payroll, the single largest component on the expense side of the ledger, is arguably the most difficult issue for booksellers to handle successfully. Starting from an examination of what is included in the payroll line (total compensation) to providing practical, usable tools for budgeting, scheduling, and controlling payroll, this seminar will provide invaluable tools and information to booksellers, regardless of the size of their store.

Remember, when puzzling over what to do to make things better and begin a move toward profitability, the answer is most often: "It's in the Payroll... It's in the payroll."

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Renegotiating a Lease
Room: 1C 04
Presented by Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, Colorado

A bookstore's occupancy cost is a fixed cost that can never be changed, right? WRONG! Carefully monitoring industry trends, paying attention to the local real estate market, and maintaining a dialogue with a landlord will better position booksellers to control their occupancy expenses.

This session will use real-world examples to show how a savvy bookseller can create a plan for entering into a discussion about an existing lease. The material will include using ABACUS benchmarks to frame discussions with your landlord and will cover such issues as paying by the square foot vs. paying a percent of sales, why you need to begin a lease renegotiation well in advance of it becoming a necessity, and more.

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Book Sense sessions for Publishers
Room: Room 1E 07-08 (ABA/Book Sense Lounge)

Representatives from Book Sense will explain how publishers can take advantage of various Book Sense initiatives and will answer your questions about the program.

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
The Third Annual "What Are You Reading/Publishing?" Lunch
Room: Special Events Hall

With a day full of information on increasing profitability, it's important to take a moment to remember why we're all here: BOOKS! Break bread with your bookseller colleagues from around the country, and engage in unmoderated discussions about your favorite handsells.

The lunch also has a new twist this year: In addition to talking with booksellers about what you're reading, you 'll be joined by editors from our Book Sense Publishing Partners, who will come prepared to discuss hot books and sleepers from the coming fall list. Open to all ABA members registered for the Thursday "Day of Education," this lunch is free of charge, but you must register in advance through BEA. BEA will provide you with a "Thursday Lunch" ticket which must be presented in order to be admitted to the lunch.

The following afternoon sessions emanate from the morning sessions, adding further detail and study to topics originally raised in "The 2% Solution." These sessions are presented twice in succession, allowing you and your staff the opportunity to attend as many of the programs as possible.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Buying, Selling, and Managing Gifts, Sidelines, and Other Non-Book Products 101
Room: 1B 04
Presented by Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ

Often ghettoized in bookstores, the judicious use of gift and other non-book items can help propel a store into the black. At this session, attendees will hear about the merits of adding gift items to the product mix, as well as basic principles of buying, merchandising, and selling gift items. You'll learn how to create a non-book budget, how to create an "open-to-buy," how to deal with items that don't sell, where to find gift and other non-book items, and more.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Buying, Selling, and Managing Gifts, Sidelines, and Other Non-Book Products 201
Room: 1B 03
Moderated by Jill Perlstein, ABA Director of Marketing. Presented by Mary McCarthy, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee, WI, Lance Fensterman, Bound to be Read, St Paul, MN, Julie Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petosky, MI, and Steve Bercu, Bookpeople, Austin, TX

Stores selling gift items, sidelines, and other non-book products face myriad challenges. Intended for booksellers already experienced with selling gifts and other non-book items, a panel of bookseller experts will address how to find a non-book buyer with the right sensibility, best merchandising practices, how to measure success, and more.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Understanding Co-Op 101
Room: 1B 02
Presented by: Mark Kaufman, with Paz & Associates

The ABACUS study showed that profitable booksellers spend much less on advertising than unprofitable booksellers. This does not necessarily mean profitable bookstores advertise less, but it does mean they claim more co-op. In this session, you'll learn what co-op is, the difference between "pool" and "exempt" co-op, where to find each publisher's co-op terms and policies, how to claim co-op, and more. Mark Kaufman, with Paz & Associates, currently serves as "co-op coach" for a network of more than 30 independent bookstores that participate in The Reader's Edge customer newsletter marketing program. For the past ten years, Mark has worked with his wife and partner, Donna Paz Kaufman, on the development of innovative resources to enhance an independent store's competitive advantage.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Understanding Co-Op 201
Room: 1C 04
Moderated by: Mark Nichols, Director, Book Sense Marketing. Presented by: Heather Duncan, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO, Tom Campbell, Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC and Tracy Adams, Co-op Advertising Solutions.

Join a panel of bookstore co-op experts as they discuss best practices for claiming, using, and managing co-op. The panel will discuss creating a marketing/advertising plan, how to use co-op efficiently, how to measure the success of your advertising and marketing activities, tips on communicating with publisher co-op departments, and more.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Outside Sales: Selling Outside the Store and Selling to Corporations
Room: 1B 01
Moderated by: Dan Cullen, Director of ABA's Information Department and Editor-in-Chief of the Book Sense Picks. Presented by: Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL; Nancy Olson, Quail Ridge Bookshop, Raleigh, NC; and Jack Covert, president of 800-CEO-READ, a division of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee, WI

A bookstore's market does not begin and end at the front door. Join a panel of bookseller experts as they discuss corporate sales, school bookfairs, house parties, and other sales opportunities out of the store. Learn how experienced booksellers identify prospective corporate customers, schools, and other groups, and how they manage outside sales.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
The Bookstore as a Third Place: Making Your Store a Community Center Through Innovative Events
Room: 1C 03
Moderated by Oren Teicher, COO, American Booksellers Association. Presented by: Carla Cohen, Politics & Prose, Washington, DC, Vivien Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS, and Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA.

In turbulent, troubled times, there is no more important mission for a bookstore than to serve as a gathering place for members of the community to exchange in the free flow of ideas. Author signings and readings are often the impetus for such gatherings, but events in your store can be about much more than books. Join this panel of experts as they discuss creating events to position the bookstore as a center for community and political action.

2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Special extended session)
Improving Ambience, Improving Sales
Room: 1C 02
Presented by: Kate Whouley, Books in Common

In an era when any book is a click away from the nearest desktop, the only reason a customer will come into your store at all is because it feels good to be there. That elusive retail element we call ambiance is the focus of this session. Using five ABA member stores as real-life case studies, bookstore consultant Kate Whouley of Books in Common will help you see your store from a fresh perspective, and provide you with practical advice about how to make your store the place where your customers want to be--and buy. Adapted from an all-day educational workshop created by Kate Whouley and presented at the 2004 NEBA Trade show to rave reviews.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Book Sense sessions for Publishers
Room: Room 1E 07-08 (ABA/Book Sense Lounge)

Representatives from Book Sense will explain how publishers can take advantage of various Book Sense initiatives and will answer your questions about the program.

Other Thursday Programs & Events
These Thursday programs & events are also part of ABA's "Day of Education" and open to all BEA attendees.

Programming For African American Book Industry Professionals
Registration for the Programming for African American Book Industry Professionals is not required. For more information on the AABC, contact Emma Rodgers at blackimagesbooks@sbcglobal.net.

11:30 a.m.
Opening Session and Luncheon
Room: 1E 12-13

Welcome: Clara Villarosa
Luncheon Sponsored by: Jump At the Sun, an imprint of Hyperion Books for Children. To RSVP for this luncheon, please email childrens.marketing@disney.com.

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Keynote Address: Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers
Room: 1E 11

Author Walter Dean Myers and illustrator Christopher Myers have written and illustrated award-winning children's and young adult books, each in his own right and collaboratively. Harlem Blues Journey (Holiday House Publishing), and, most recently, a book of poems Here is Harlem (Holiday House Publishing).

2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Workshop: How to Sell Children's Books
Room: 1E 11

This workshop will enhance booksellers' ability to select and sell books appropriate for standard, accelerated, reluctant, and remedial readers. Panel: Irene Smalls, Little Brown and Company, is a beloved author of many books for children, including Jonathan and His Mommy, Kevin and His Dad, and, newly released, My Nana and Me. Ms. Smalls will speak on planning in-store events for children. Jacqueline Woodson, acclaimed and award-winning author whose recent book, Miracle Boys, was also a made-for-TV movie, will speak on the selection of contemporary stories for urban youth. Bernette Ford, CEO of Color-Bridge Books, is a consultant for the Just For You! series published by Scholastic for grades K - 3. Michele Echols is a literacy consultant for nonprofit organizations, and will speak on the leveling of books by public schools in guided reading programs.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Workshop: Remainder Books to Increase Your Bottom Line -- Purchasing, Pricing, and Positioning of Publisher Overstock Books
Room: 1E 11
Moderated by Felecia Wintons, Bookseller, Books For Thought, Inc., Tampa, Florida
Panel: Jordon Lubberts, Sales Representative, Book Depot, Lewiston, New York

Learn how to keep current with the African American book titles that are remaindered.

5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Reception
Room: 1E 12-13

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) Annual Meeting
Room 1E 9-10
Membership in ABC is not required for attendance.

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
20^th Anniversary Celebration Lunch and Speaker
The ABC lunch is being generously supported by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Boxed lunches can be ordered for members through the ABC national office. Contact information on the ABC Web site: www.abfc.com.

During lunch, author and illustrator Alexandra Day will speak and celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Good Dog Carl, the first of her popular books starring Carl the Rottweiler. Carl himself will also be in attendance. The 2005 winners of the Lucile Micheels Pannell award will give presentations about their award-winning programs in their stores.

Association of Booksellers for Children will have a booth at the Javits Center, where information will be available about joining ABC will be available. Independent booksellers, publishers, authors, illustrators, and librarians are all welcome to join. Posters from the past "20 Minutes a Day" campaigns, sample copies of The Best Books for Children catalog, and bookmarks with read-aloud tips will be available. There will also be two author signings during the convention. See the autographing schedule on the BEA Web site for more details.

2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Children's Booksellers Afternoon
Room: 1E 9-10
Sponsored by the Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee (A cooperative committee of the American Booksellers Association [ABA], Association of Booksellers for Children [ABC], and the Children's Book Council [CBC]) Part of ABA's Day of Education and open to all BEA Attendees.

The Children's Booksellers Afternoon will feature National Book Award finalist Julie Ann Peters (Megan Tingley Books, Little, Brown and Co.) speaking with her editor, Megan Tingley. Their presentation will be followed by the Children's Book Buzz Workshop, in which editors and marketing staff from a variety of publishing houses present exciting new titles in small roundtable discussions with booksellers. Participating publishers include Atheneum; Bloomsbury; Candlewick; Charlesbridge; Clarion; Dial; DK; Dutton; Eerdmans; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Greenwillow Books; Gingerbread House; Harcourt; HarperCollins; Henry Holt; Hyperion; Innovative Kids; Little, Brown and Company; Margaret K. McElderry; National Geographic; Patria Press; Puffin; Putnam; Random House; Raven Tree Press; Roaring Brook; Scholastic; Shadow Mountain; Viking; Walker & Company; and Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster.

5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Association of Booksellers for Children 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration
The celebration will be held at the Copacabana, 560 West 34^th Street. The legendary Copacabana is conveniently located one-half block from the Javits Convention Center.

• 5:00 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. The Secret Garden Silent Auction
  Donations from children's illustrators and authors will be available for bid in a silent auction. The auction and dinner are open to all, but admission to the auction is open only to ticket holders.
• 7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Dinner
  Sponsored by Candlewick Press and Greenwillow Books.
• 8:45 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Presentation of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award to the 2004 and 2005 Winners 2004 winner: Judy Schachner for Skippyjon Jones
  2005 winner: To be announced in spring 2005
  
  Speakers:
  Kate DiCamillo, winner of the 2004 Newbery award for The Tale of Despereaux and the 2001 Newbery Honor Award for Because of Winn Dixie. Her new book for 2005 is Mercy Watson to the Rescue. Kevin Henkes, winner of the 2005 Caldecott award for Kitten's First Full Moon, 2004 Newbery Honor winner for Olive's Ocean, and 1994 Caldecott Honor winner for Owen. His new book for 2005 is So Happy, illustrated by Anita Lobel.
• 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
  Pick up and payment for The Secret Garden Silent Auction pieces.

COLLEGE STORE PROGRAMMING

12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
College Store Literary Luncheon
Room: 1A 03-04-05
Sponsored by NACSCORP

Join your college store colleagues for lunch ... and listen to some favorite authors at the same time. Featuring Sarah Hall, Terry Pratchett and Nelson George. To RSVP, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.

2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
College Store Idea Exchange & Roundtables
Room: 1A 03-04-05
College stores have a unique position in today's competitive marketplace. This program will focus on sharing proven strategies that can help make your store both more profitable and an even more valuable resource in the campus community. If you have additional ideas to suggest, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.

Planning and Marketing by the Numbers
Return on Investment (ROI), stock turn, and expense-cost activities aren't just for bookstore managers anymore! All buyers in college bookstores need to know how their department contributes to the bottom line. If your eyes glaze over when talk turns to financial information, this session is for you -- everything you ever wanted to know about how to create a stronger and more profitable general book department!

Event Planning For the College Store
Does the thought of planning an author event make you quake with fear or quiver with excitement? Whether you're about to host your first event or your fiftieth, this session will give you dozens of tips on how to make your event a memorable one. Learn how to effectively market your store to publishers, agents, and authors, and take home valuable information and event planning tools to help you successfully advertise, schedule, staff, and budget for in-store events.

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
BookSense.com Users Group
Room: 1C 02
Moderated by Len Vlahos, Director, BookSense.com
Open to all BEA attendees.

BookSense.com users will learn about the latest features of BookSense.com, as well as planned enhancements to the product. There will also be a Q&A with the program's director, Len Vlahos. Plus, see demos of Constant Contact, ABA's new partner for e-mail marketing management. Non-Booksense.com stores are welcome to attend.

11:00 a.m. -Noon
Book Sense Gift Card Users Group
Room: 1C 02
Moderated by Jill Perlstein, ABA Marketing Director

Current participants in the Book Sense Gift Card program are encouraged to attend this session for an in-depth review of the program and discussion about future growth. Booksellers will be asked to share their experiences of managing this innovative program. Come prepared to talk about what worked and what didn't. Learn from other booksellers about marketing ideas. Furthermore, hear the latest statistics on the future of the gift card market.

And, take part in the first annual Book Sense Gift Card Swap -- bring cards that you've redeemed from other bookstores and ABA will redistribute to the issuing store to be incremented or used for promotional purposes. Or, drop the cards off at the Book Sense Lounge in Room 1E 07-08. It's a great way to recycle, reuse, and to help keep program costs down for all.

Noon - 1:30 pm
Book Sense Author Luncheon
Room: Special Events Hall
Sponsored by The Quills Literary Foundation
Open to all bookstores with Book Sense. Free of charge by RSVP only.

One of the highlights of BEA for the past four years, this luncheon is your chance to meet dozens of authors whose books you've helped make past or present Book Sense Picks! This year's MC is fellow bookseller --- and recent Book Sense Pick author --- Betsy Burton of The King's English in Salt Lake City, Utah. (RSVP to Mark Nichols at mark@booksense.com.) Limit two people per bookstore. Please bring confirmation e-mail from Mark Nichols to the luncheon.

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
ABA Town Hall Meeting
Room: 1C 03
Open to all ABA members.

The opportunity for ABA booksellers to voice their opinions and to share their ideas with ABA Board members and staff in a less formal setting than at the ABA Annual Membership meeting which follows. Ask questions/make suggestions; discuss ABA's Education Program, Book Sense, Sales Tax issues, electronic gift cards, ABACUS, or anything else on your mind!

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
ABA Annual Meeting
Room: 1C 04
Open to all ABA members

ABA's official annual meeting will update membership on activities of the past year and will look ahead to future association projects. Voting cards will be available outside the meeting room two hours prior to the meeting. The meeting agenda is as follows: Call to Order, Report on the Election of Board Members and Officers, Report of the President, Report of the Chief Executive Officer, Old Business, and New Business.

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
ABA's Annual Celebration of Bookselling
Room: Special Events Hall
Sponsored by Putumayo World Music
Free of Charge. Open to all BEA attendees

An annual tradition where all are invited to snack, drink, and share in the celebration of the 2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. The authors and illustrators from the four categories -- Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Literature, and Children's Illustrated -- we'll be there, will you? Gifts for the Book Sense Book of the Year finalists and winners are provided by Levenger. This year's event is being sponsored by Book Sense Partner Putumayo World Music, which will be providing the perfect musical atmosphere with a live performer and their signature recorded cultural folk music. Putumayo World Music was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. Since that time, it has become known primarily for upbeat and melodic compilations that are "guaranteed to make you feel good!" Don't miss this chance to have some fun, relax with live music, and mingle among bibliophiles.

Repeat of morning sessions from ABA's Thursday educational programming:

8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Increasing Sales, Cost of Goods Sold 101, It's in the Payroll!, Renegotiating a Lease
Room: 1B 03
Presented in succession by Avin Mark Domnitz, CEO, American Booksellers Association

See above for detailed descriptions.

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
ABA Education Follow-Up (Bookseller-to-Bookseller)
Room 1E 07-08 (ABA/Book Sense Lounge)

Come meet with fellow booksellers to follow up on what you've learned from ABA's Education sessions on profitability this past spring and ABA's Thursday "Day of Education." Bring questions, suggestions, tips, success stories, horror stories, etc. Best of all, you can get started now by visiting the "Education Forum" in BookWeb's Idea Exchange online at www.BookWeb.org, then click on "Idea Exchange" from the list in the upper left.

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Is Someone Reading Over Your Shoulder?
Room: 1C 03
Moderated by Chris Finan, president of ABFFE, and Oren J. Teicher, COO, American Booksellers Association, and co-sponsored by American Library Association's Freedom to Read Foundation and Association of American Publisher's Freedom to Read Committee.

Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a co-sponsor of the Freedom to Read Protection Act, will provide the latest news on the fight in the U.S. House of Representatives, including the efforts of the administration to reauthorize Section 215 before it expires at the end of the year. The sponsors of the Campaign for Reader Privacy will also be present to answer questions. The Campaign will be represented by ABA COO Oren J. Teicher; AAP President Patricia Schroeder; Larry Siems, director of Freedom to Write and International Programs at PEN American Center; and a spokesperson for the American Library Association.

3:15 p.m. - 4:30pm
Independent Retailing in the U.S. Today
Room: 1C 04
Moderated by Oren J. Teicher, COO, American Booksellers Association. Presented by Donna Fenn, a contributing editor to Inc. magazine and author of Alpha Dogs: How Your Small Business Can Become a Leader of the Pack (to be published by CollinsBusiness in the fall); Katharine Blair, manager and book buyer for Jazams, a small independent toy store with locations in Princeton and Pennington, New Jersey; Rick Karp, president of San Francisco's Cole Hardware, with four locations, voted the best hardware store in San Francisco for many years; David Pia, whose family business, Associated Appliance & Service in Stamford, Connecticut, has grown from a $45,000 annual service business in the early 1970s to two retail and service stores with annual sales of approximately $5 million; and Gary Scotti of Scotti's Record Shops, the oldest independently owned music chain in the country, with five locations in New Jersey.

A look at independent retailing in the U.S. today and what bookstores have in common with our Main Street colleagues. Come hear a panel of independent retailers from several different industries (toy stores, restaurants, florists, furniture dealers, etc.) talk about the challenges and opportunities facing fellow independent retailers. Can we learn from their successes and their mistakes? And how can we work together?

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Book Sense Reading Room
Room: 1C 03
Open to all BEA attendees.

End your day listening to outstanding writers sharing their work at the Book Sense Reading Room. Four authors who have been selected from the Book Sense Picks will read from their books. Come be part of a wonderful ABA Convention tradition!

Blue Balliett, author of CHASING VERMEER (Scholastic), 2005 BSBY Winner for Children's Literature
Susanna Clarke, author of JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL (Bloomsbury), 2005 BSBY Winner for Adult Fiction
Betsy Burton, THE KING'S ENGLISH: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller (Gibbs-Smith)
A. J. Jacobs, THE KNOW IT ALL: One Man's Humble Quest to Be the Smartest Person in the World (Simon & Schuster)

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Cruise Around Manhattan

The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA), along with ABA, fellow regional booksellers associations (MPBA, MSIBA, SCBA, SEBA), Scholastic, Baker & Taylor, Koen and other publishers and wholesalers, cordially invites all BEA attendees to enjoy a respite from the convention hustle and bustle on a calm cruise on the Hudson River. Proceeds from cruise tickets will be donated to New York City's Fund for Public Schools. Boarding at Pier 83 (at 41st Street) at 4:30 p.m. Ticket price: $10 and purchased through BEA Registration.

5:30 p.m. -- 6:30 p.m.
BookSense.com/American Heritage Dictionaries Spelling Bee
Room: 1B 02-03-04
Moderated by: Myla Goldberg (Bee Season, Random House)
Open to all BEA attendees.

Looking to blow off steam at the end of a long day on the trade show floor? Join colleagues from all corners of the book industry for a no-holds-barred spelling bee!

updated: 4/25/2005