Roberta Rubin and Patricia Johnson Join ABFFE Board

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression [1] (ABFFE) has announced the election to its Board of Directors [2] of Roberta Rubin, owner of The Book Stall at Chestnut Court [3] in Winnetka, Illinois, and Patricia Johnson, executive vice president and editorial director of Alfred A. Knopf, Pantheon, and Schocken Books. Each will serve a three-year term.

Roberta Rubin

In 1986, Rubin purchased the Chestnut Court Book Shop in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, renamed it The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, and turned it into an award-winning business. The Book Stall won the Haslam Award for Excellence in Independent Bookselling in 1993; was chosen one of the Top 10 Outstanding Bookstores by USA Today in 1997; and was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as one of the top 10 bookstores in the Chicago area in 2007.

Rubin has been active in the American Booksellers Association and has held various leadership positions in her community, including serving twice as president of the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce.

Pat Johnson

Johnson started her career as a bookseller. She managed a Waldenbooks store before becoming a trade paperback buyer for the chain and later moving to Encore Books as head of merchandising. After 10 years of retail, Johnson became manager of national accounts at Bantam Books and, two years later, director of Doubleday. In 1992, she was named vice president and publisher of Random House Audio, and the following year added the title of publisher of Random House Large Print. Johnson became vice president and associate publisher at Knopf in 1996.

Leaving the ABFFE Board are Bonnie Ammer, formerly of Random House, and Betsy Burton, of The King’s English Books [4]hop in Salt Lake City, who is now serving on the ABA Board [5].