Guides Highlight the Uniqueness of New Orleans

Winter Institute attendees who have some extra time in New Orleans can choose from an array of cultural attractions as well as opportunities to lend a helping hand to the city’s revitalization.

Frommer’s New Orleans Day by Day, sent to Wi7 registrants last month compliments of Wiley, provides information on everything from neighborhood walks to restaurants, nightlife, and the city’s arts scene and will help booksellers make the most of this most singular city. And, again thanks to Wiley, a digital version of the more extensive Frommer’s New Orleans from the Frommer’s Complete Guide Series will soon be available to all bookseller attendees. (Look for a unique access code arriving in an e-mail from ABA Development Officer Mark Nichols along with Reps Picks table assignments sometime next week.)

Another source for all things New Orleans is the New Orleans Visitor’s Bureau website, which offers a calendar of events along with information on the area’s must-see attractions, hotels, and restaurants.

For those interested in working on the city’s recovery from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, here’s a list of “Voluntourism” opportunities offered by organizations that are currently engaged in organizing, hosting, or identifying community service projects for visiting groups.

To help in the revitalization effort, the American Booksellers Association will be making a donation to the New Orleans early literacy organization Start the Adventure in Reading. A collection box will be placed in the Wi7 Galley Room for booksellers who would like to add their own cash or check donations.

With all that the Big Easy has to offer, Wi7 attendees should be sure to save some time to check out New Orleans’ indie bookstores! A list of local ABA members with a map showing those closest to the hotel will be available at the ABA Welcome Desk.

And, finally, don’t forget this year’s One Institute, One Read pick, Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning All the King’s Men. This classic, which is replete with Louisiana history and one of the best novels written about American politics, was sent to Wi7 registrants courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ABA hopes all attendees will arrive in New Orleans ready to discuss the life and world of Willie Stark. A reader’s guide provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is available on the Wi7 website.

Winter Institute 7, sponsored by the Ingram Content Group, will be held on January 18 - 20, 2012  at Astor Crowne Plazas in New Orleans.