BookExpo

At ABA’s Annual Meeting, CEO Oren Teicher broke from tradition for his report to share thoughts and observations about responding to today’s industry challenges. Topics covered included how booksellers can succeed in an ever-changing digital world and the best ways that ABA can help to facilitate success and sustainability for independent bookselling.

On Tuesday, booksellers and the authors and publishers of more than 35 of the past year’s Indie Next List titles gathered for the 11th annual Celebration of Bookselling & Author Awards Luncheon, featuring the presentation of the 2011 Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.

On Tuesday, May 24, hundreds of booksellers, librarians, and publishers attended the Children’s Book & Author Breakfast, an annual highlight of BEA. This year’s breakfast featured a range of bestselling authors who share a love for reading and writing, and above all, a belief in the power of a book in a child’s hands.

Award-winning author Margaret Atwood’s talk at ABA’s closing plenary session took listeners on an entertaining ramble from her first fiction characters through a brief history of the evolution of books and language to her thoughts on the future of the book and bookselling.

Christopher J. Zane, the founder of Zane’s Cycles and a nationally noted entrepreneur and speaker, opened ABA’s Day of Education with an engaging keynote that offered his perspective on “the most important part of the retail industry.”

Booksellers representing approximately 400 ABA member stores took part in ABA’s Day of Education, sponsored by the Ingram Content Group, on Monday at BEA. This year’s focus was squarely on assisting indie booksellers in their goals for retail innovation and success.

From May 21 - 26, several New York City bookstores are hosting in-store events, and they’re hoping booksellers in town for BEA will stop by.

The ABA Members-Only Lounge at BEA — Room 1E07/08 of the Javits Center — will be the place for booksellers to learn about ABA products and services, check e-mail, have books autographed by some of their favorite authors, grab a snack and coffee, or relax in a comfy chair. This year’s lounge offers free WiFi and more seating.

Here’s a roundup of educational programming highlights, special events, and resources for booksellers at BookExpo America.

The Digital Market and the YA Audience, a Day of Education panel discussion moderated by Kristin McLean, consultant to the ABC Children’s Group at ABA, will feature David Levithan, executive editorial director for Scholastic; Jacob Lewis, CEO of Figment; and Meghan Dietsche Goel, children’s book buyer at BookPeople in Austin, Texas.