BookExpo

Booksellers attending BookExpo America (BEA) are encouraged to attend a special ABACUS session to be held on Friday, May 30, from 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. in Room 303A/B. This long-awaited session will present, for the first time, an in-depth and detailed report on the project's first-year results, and all ABA members are invited to attend. ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz will moderate.

The ABA/Book Sense Booth at this year's BookExpo America -- Booth #2921 -- will be the place to go for autographed books from some of independent booksellers' favorite authors. On Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, authors whose works have appeared on the Book Sense 76 lists will be available to sign their books and meet booksellers. On both days, the signings will start at 10:00 a.m., and the last signing session will begin at 4:00 p.m.

At this year's BookExpo America (BEA), the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) plans to have something for everyone, ranging from serious discussions on free expression issues to award-winning comedy to a silent auction, offering great bargains. On Saturday, May 31, Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders (I), sponsor of the Freedom to Read Protection Act, will participate in a panel on the First Amendment.

The Lambda Literary Foundation will announce the winners of the 15th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, honoring "the best and the brightest" in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered publishing, at a gala banquet at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, on May 29. An authors' reception will begin at 6:00 p.m., with dinner at 7:30 p.m.

LIBRIS, ABA's insurance subsidiary, recently sent ABA bookstore members who are not currently LIBRIS policyholders an invitation to meet with a representative during BookExpo America (May 28 - June 1 in Los Angeles). Qualifying booksellers who meet with a LIBRIS representative at BEA to discuss a no-obligation quote will receive two tickets for one of the trade show's author breakfasts.

On Saturday, May 31, from 10:30 to noon at BookExpo America, the panel "Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses" will give attendees the opportunity to see firsthand the results of a study showing the economic impact of chains versus local, independent retailers.

To kick off the Book Sense - History Channel Hardcover History in-store promotion campaign, The History Channel will present an advance screening of a documentary based on the first book spotlighted in the promotion, Blood From a Stone: The Quest for the Life Diamonds by Yaron Svoray and Richard Hammer (Forge), for ABA bookstore members only at this year's BookExpo America.

The Children's Booksellers and Publishers Committee, sponsored by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), and Children's Book Council (CBC), has published Awards & Honors: A Guide to Selected Children's Books. The 48-page book has been produced in conjunction with an exhibition of award-winning children's books from 1997 - 2002, assembled for the 2003 BookExpo America trade show, beginning May 30 i

BookExpo America has announced that the 2006 trade show will be held May 19 - 21 in Washington, D.C., the weekend before Memorial Day and after Mother's Day.

ABA is once again offering an all-day educational program for booksellers attending BookExpo America (BEA). Thursday, May 29, at BEA, which runs from May 28 - June 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will feature panels and seminars designed specifically to meet the needs and interests of independent booksellers. The program will run from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and is open to ABA members and non-members.