About ABA

ABA board members and staff will be at this Saturday’s SCIBA Authors Feast & Trade Show to provide updates on new programs and initiatives, including the Kobo eBook solution and the Thanks for Shopping Indie multi-publisher promotion.

ABA announced this week that it is joining the National Association of College Stores, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and other trade groups in opposing the proposed $7.25 billion settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over skyrocketing Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees, which was announced in July.

This week, the American Booksellers Association and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation announced that they have entered into an agreement to offer a financial assistance program for employees of independent bookstores who are experiencing an emergency financial hardship.

The American Booksellers Association will be hosting two one-hour webinars next week on the ABA/Kobo partnership for booksellers who have been unable to attend the “eBooks and Indie Bookstores” session at the regional trade shows.

In her bimonthly letter, ABA President Becky Anderson encourages booksellers to take a look at some new programs and intiatives available to all member stores; however, she notes, deadlines are approaching soon.

ABA will be at next week’s Northern California Independent Booksellers Association and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association trade shows to present the education sessions “eBooks and Independent Bookstores” and “Meeting the Literacy Needs of Your Community.”

The deadline for nominations of qualified candidates to stand for election to the American Booksellers Association’s Board of Directors is October 31, 2012. Any ABA member may submit nominations for Board directors.

Registration for ABA’s Eighth Annual Winter Institute is now open. Wi8 kicks off in Kansas City, Missouri, with a reception on Friday evening, February 22,  and continues through Monday, February 25, with more than 25 education sessions for booksellers at all levels of experience.

At next week’s  Heartland Fall Forum and New England Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference, ABA staff will present the education sessions “E-Books and Independent Bookstores” and “Meeting the Literacy Needs of Your Community.”

Booksellers will be able to learn more about Kobo, ABA’s new e-book solution, available to all member stores, at an ABA education session next Saturday at the NAIBA trade show and at the ABA booth on the show floor.