Disasters/Relief

The second phase of the Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF) effort, established by the American Booksellers Association in response to the devastation wrought by this season's hurricanes, is now underway. Under Phase Two, a subcommittee of the Bookseller Relief Fund Board will consider more expansive requests for assistance from the owners of bookstores within federally declared disaster areas.

This week, as part of its continuing coverage of the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the booksellers of the Gulf Coast, Bookselling This Week talks to Scott Naugle of Pass Christian Bookstore in Pass Christian, Mississippi, and New Orleans booksellers Britton Trice of Garden District Bookshop, Cynthia Dike of Maple Street Books and Maple Street Children's, Tom Lowenburg of Octavia Books, and Joanne Sealy of DeVille Books.

The first wave of Phase One Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF) grants will be mailed to 35 booksellers in the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast by the end of this week. The grants of $500 each are meant to provide assistance for temporary housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical expenses, and/or other personal items lost or damaged during the storms.

Since its inception, the Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF) has had the support of booksellers, publishers, distributors, regional associations, and others in the book industry. Last week, the fund was bolstered even further, when Independent Publishers Group President Mark Suchomel presented a check for $25,000 to the BRF.

On Saturday, October 1, many ABA member booksellers joined in a special effort to raise money for the Bookseller Relief Fund, which is providing humanitarian aid to booksellers affected by disaster conditions in the Gulf Coast region, as well as for future emergency situations. Booksellers were encouraged to donate a percentage of the day's sales (to be determined by the individual store) to the fund, which is providing assistance for such items as temporary housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical expenses, and/or other personal items lost or damaged.

To provide assistance to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as quickly as possible, the Bookseller Relief Fund Board created a two-phase relief process and set October 15 as the deadline for applications for relief under Phase One of the plan.

Over a month after Hurricane Katrina unleashed its devastation on the Gulf Coast, those in the hardest hit areas are just now able to return to assess the damage to their homes and businesses. This week, BTW spoke to four of the affected booksellers, who are beginning to rebuild their lives.

As the Gulf Coast region deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, most accounts coming out of the area indicate that, while the storm's wrath was devastating in its destructive force in some areas, the consequences could have been far more tragic. First projected to hit the Houston area, the storm veered eastward to less populated areas. Nonetheless, Rita still packed a terrible and tragic punch, hitting towns along the Texas-Louisiana border with over 100-mph winds and leaving them under up to 15 feet of water.

On Tuesday, September 27, the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) announced that it was matching ABA's initial contribution to the Bookseller Relief Fund with a $25,000 contribution from the SEBA Board Reserve Fund.

The American Booksellers Association is encouraging as many member stores as possible to join together on Saturday, October 1, to raise funds for the Bookseller Relief Fund (BRF), which will provide bookstore owners and employees with humanitarian relief for such items as temporary housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical expenses, and/or other personal items lost or damaged. (The funds will not be granted to rebuild a business.)