Spotlight on ABA Board Candidate Becky Anderson

Director candidates on this year's ABA Board ballots, which must be returned by April 30, are Betsy Burton of The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah; Beth Puffer of Bank Street Bookstore in New York City; and Becky Anderson of Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois. Anderson is also on the ballot to serve as ABA vice president, alongside this year's nominee for president, Michael Tucker of Books Inc. in San Francisco.

This week, BTW profiles Anderson, a current member of the Board, up for election to a second three-year term.

Becky Anderson

Becky Anderson is part of the fifth generation of Andersons at the helm of the family business that started as a pharmacy, which also sold books. Today the business encompasses Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville, Aurora, and Downers Grove, Illinois; the 134-year-old Oswald's pharmacy; and W.W. Wickel, a children's book wholesaler, which handles school bookfairs and educational events. Becky Anderson and her three brothers own the businesses together, and she serves as the group's marketing and events coordinator, as well as the children's book buyer for the bookstores and the buyer for the wholesale business.

"I started working when I was 11 in the family drugstore," Anderson said. "There was a fire in the cigar case, and my first job was cleaning soot off the merchandise and shelves." She didn't plan on staying in the business, however. "I got married, moved away, and came back," Anderson explained. "A key employee was leaving, and I was asked to step in, and I've been here ever since."

Anderson's, which has long been active in its local community, has been honored with numerous awards including the Naperville Chamber of Commerce Retail Business of the Year Award, the Illinois Family Business of the Year Award, and the Illinois State Board of Education Exemplary Partnership Award. Its book industry accolades include the Charles S. Haslam Award for Excellence in Bookselling and the Women's National Book Association's Lucile Micheels Pannell Award for Best Children's Bookseller in a general bookstore.

An early advocate for local businesses, Anderson has served as marketing chair and board member of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. When IndieBound was launched by ABA in May 2008, Anderson's ran with it, using the materials extensively throughout the store, and putting the logo on the business' delivery van.

"IndieBound came about at the right time for us," Anderson said. "We wanted to start an independent local business alliance, and even though that's what we had been evangelizing for decades, Indiebound was the first time we really formed an organized group. We were always part of a business alliance, but this is totally focused on independents, and we needed that. It's been hugely successful and a lot of local businesses are noticing and getting involved."

IndieBound is one of the initiatives that Anderson is proud to have worked on during her first term on the ABA Board. "I was honored to be a part of that from the beginning.... It's such an exciting journey to see the potential of the program. And I can see it going so much further," she said.

If elected to a second term, Anderson wants to continue developing IndieBound. "Being part of an independent business alliance or a local first initiative does great things for a business," she said, pointing to a recent survey by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, which revealed that indies who were active in Buy Local campaigns faired better than the chains and indies without an IBA.

Anderson is currently president of the Association of Booksellers for Children, which is exploring the possibility of a merger with ABA. "It's just in the talking phase," she told BTW. "But the potential would be huge if both associations combined their resources. It would mean that children's books can grow for all members." And, she noted, that while some general booksellers might not see children's titles as their strong suit, the category was a stalwart during the otherwise unremarkable 2009 holiday season and has seen a recent increase in sales despite a severe recession.

Always an advocate for free expression, Anderson and her brothers were recently forced by safety concerns to cancel an appearance by former radical Bill Ayers. On Monday, April 20, however, the store is hosting a community discussion to further understanding about First Amendment issues. Featuring a panel of experts with diverse views, the Freedom Forum will explore whether First Amendments rights were threatened by the cancellation and whether there should be limits to freedom of speech.

Serving on the ABA Board for the past three years has been a highlight of her career in bookselling, said Anderson. "I'm so excited to be with this group of people. Being part of the Board and meeting so many incredible booksellers has been one of the thrills of my life as a bookseller. It's been a huge joy."

In addition to working on IndieBound, during a second term Anderson wants to focus on developing strategies for indies to use their inherent strengths to weather a punishing economy and come out ahead. "In these times there are great opportunities, and when we get through this, I think we can be in a really good position if we play our cards right. On the Board, I'd like to find those things that would make that occur."

She is also excited about the prospect of keeping a step ahead of developing technology. "I think ebooks are coming," she said. "It's an opportunity to be on a level playing field with everyone else, but we need to be ready for it. That's one of the great things about ABA -- we're always on the forefront of new trends to ensure that members stay competitive and informed." --Karen Schechner