News - Regional

Booksellers are invited to attend an ABA Booksellers Forum to be held in Storrs, Connecticut, at the UConn Co-op, on Thursday, May 1, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The forum will follow a meeting of the New England Children's Booksellers Association and a reception for booksellers.

On Tuesday, April 8, ABA held a Booksellers Forum, in conjunction with programming of the Mid-South Independent Booksellers Association (MSIBA), in Katy, Texas. ABA and MSIBA members met with MSIBA president and ABA Booksellers Advisory Council member Tamra Dore of Katy Budget Books and ABA COO Oren Teicher.

On March 26, California's Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee approved a bill that would clarify existing California sales tax laws and force retailers with bricks-and-mortar stores or warehouses in California to charge sales tax for purchases made online by California residents. The bill, S.B. 103, was introduced by Senator Deirdre Alpert (D-Coronado) in late January.

Even an April snowstorm failed to chill the enthusiasm of independent booksellers at the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association (NAIBA) Spring Retreat, held on April 6 - 7 at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel in Philadelphia, where the focus was on sharing successful ideas and energizing store operations.

The Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) held its Spring Seminar and Book Awards on April 4 - 5 at the Park Road Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. The weekend's programming included an ABACUS "Sneak Preview" and an ABA/SEBA Booksellers Forum. Representing ABA at the meeting were ABA COO Oren Teicher and BookSense.com Director Len Vlahos.

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) held its Spring Meeting on March 27 at the Transitions Learning Center in Chicago. The program included an ABA Booksellers Forum, an ABACUS "Sneak Preview," and a seminar on Succession Planning/Bookstore Valuation sponsored by ABA. Representing ABA at the meeting were President Ann Christophersen of Women & Children First in Chicago; Board member Karl Pohrt of Shaman Drum Bookshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan; CEO Avin Mark Domnitz; COO Oren Teicher; and Ivan Barkhorn, a consultant to ABA on strategic matters.

ABA will be conducting Booksellers Forums in conjunction with regional booksellers association meetings, held from April 4 - 8, in the Southeast, New Atlantic, and Mid-South regions. Southeast The Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) Spring Seminar and Book Awards Celebration will feature a series of ABA programs in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, at the Park Road Hotel.

In the coming weeks, ABA Booksellers Forums will be held in the Southeast, New Atlantic, and Mid-South regions. The Southeast Booksellers Association's (SEBA) Spring Seminar and Book Awards Celebration, April 4 - 5, at the Park Road Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, will include a Booksellers Forum and an ABACUS "Sneak Preview."

On Friday, March 14, over 35 people attended an ABA Booksellers Forum, held in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Spring Show, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The PNBA Spring Show ran from March 14 - 16 and was held at the Coeur d'Alene Resort.

On Thursday, March 27, the American Booksellers Association will be holding a Booksellers Forum, an ABACUS "Sneak Preview," and a "Succession Planning/How to Value Your Business" seminar in Chicago. The events will be held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) Spring Meeting at the Transitions Learning Center in Chicago.