All-New Booksellers Resource Directory Launches

The American Booksellers Association has launched a completely redesigned and expanded online Booksellers Resource Directory (BRD) in partnership with Multiview, Inc., an Irving, Texas, publisher of digital buyer’s guides and e-news briefs. A link to the directory, as well as a search bar, can be found on the association’s trade website, www.bookweb.org.

The BRD is an easy-to-search, industry-specific database of non-book products and services tailored specifically to booksellers’ needs. To quickly locate a product or service, users have the options of performing keyword-driven searches or category-specific searches. For those who want to browse, the BRD’s hundreds of vendor listings are organized in seven major categories – Apparel, Book Accessories, Business Services, Gifts/Souvenirs, Multimedia, Stationery/Writing, Store Supplies/Services – with dozens of product categories in each. A Product Showcase brings added attention to new suppliers and promotions.

Vendor information in the BRD ranges from simple listings of company name and contact information to enhanced subscriber listings featuring Request for Information (RFI) functionality, which allows users to visit the suppliers’ website and send an e-mail with just the click of a button. In addition, the BRD’s desktop search mechanism allows visitors to download a free application that makes the directory accessible from their computer desktop. Easily removable at any time, the ABA Desktop Search window is a basic search tool that will make booksellers’ supplier search experience easier and more time-efficient.

In addition to using the 2011 BRD to find new suppliers of non-book product, booksellers can use it to maintain relationships they have established with vendors at conferences and conventions, like BookExpo America, and to assist in purchasing decisions year-round.