News - Vendors

ABA's gift card and e-commerce programs will be the focus of staff-led users group meetings on Friday, May 30, at BookExpo America. Participants, and those who are new to each of the programs, are invited to join in meetings at the L.A. Convention Center, where they'll hear about the latest program developments, as well as have a chance to share tips and tricks with fellow booksellers.

Ingram Book Group and Ingram Publisher Services to Underwrite Bookseller Education The American Booksellers Association announced today the formation of a new strategic partnership with Ingram Book Company and Ingram Publisher Services to underwrite bookseller education for the next three years. The new partnership will begin with ABA's Day of Education being held in Hollywood, California, on Thursday, May 29, in conjunction with BookExpo America.

Billed as "indispensable guides to stylishly unique, locally owned eating and shopping," the eat.shop series is a natural for the independent bookstore customer. The guides, created by Kaie Wellman and self-published under her imprint Cabazon Books, have a stand-out, simple design, and highlight about 90 local restaurants and shops in each of 20 city guides.

Independent booksellers and representatives from 12 major publishing houses and Ingram Book Group/Ingram Publishers Services gathered last week in New York for a series of focus groups organized by the American Booksellers Association on behalf of the participating companies. This is the third year that ABA has facilitated the focus groups, which enable publishers to gather bookseller feedback about existing programs, as well as input on plans for the future.

Many bookstores have gone green both in their title selection and store practices, but what about the environmental impact of the books themselves? Paper shipments to U.S. publishers each year are estimated to average 1.6 million tons, equaling about 30 million trees.

Last week's Winter Institute included four Rep Picks sessions, which were repeated three times over the course of the two days. At each, representatives from six of Wi3's 24 Publisher Partners presented titles that independent booksellers can look forward to selling this spring. Here's a look at the lists of titles as provided by the publishers prior to the event. (The list is also available as a downloadable PDF.)

Booksellers attending next month's Winter Institute (Wi3) will have the opportunity to hear presentations about some of the best from publisher partners' upcoming lists at three Rep Picks sessions.

Close to 140 independent bookstores across the country are hosting Main Street Gift-Wrap parties this month, thanks to the generosity of Scholastic, Inc., the publisher of Ann M. Martin's Main Street series. Scholastic partnered with the American Booksellers Association to offer member bookstores 25 books, wrapping materials, and announcement posters for holiday book donation events to benefit charities of the bookseller's choice.

It was probably inevitable. Over the past several months, there have been ongoing reports about recalls of Chinese-made products due to excess levels of lead. In August, Mattel recalled over 10 million Chinese-made toys due to lead paint as well as tiny magnets that could be swallowed by children, as reported by the Associated Press. In October, Antioch Publishing announced the recall of seven non-book products, mostly bookmarks, due to excess lead levels.

Knock Knock, a five-year-old gift and stationery company, has created its own genre of witty, whimsical, and fun products. Founded and headed by Jen Bilik, Knock Knock, a division of Who's There, has earned kudos and an enthusiastic base of retailers who are charmed by the contemporary wit in vintage design. Launched in 2002, with 13 products, Knock Knock now offers several hundred items, including a new line of books.