Hotel ABA
For the fifth consecutive year, the association is sponsoring a hotel exclusively for ABA members. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge will provide ABA bookseller and provisional members with opportunities to network with their peers, attend special publisher parties, and learn tools of the trade in ABA education sessions (see below) at the very affordable rate of $159/night. To reserve a room at Hotel ABA, members should visit ABA's trade website, BookWeb.org, and click on the Hotel ABA link, or contact Margaret Nafz. PLEASE NOTE: Hotel ABA is full, but ABA is placing names on a waiting list in the event of a cancellation.

Hotel ABA Evening Receptions Schedule

• Wednesday, May 30: 9:00 p.m. - 12 Midnight, sponsored by Scholastic to celebrate the debut of Ann Martin's Main Street series.
• Thursday, May 31: 9:00 p.m. - 12 Midnight, sponsored by HarperCollins to celebrate the fall publication of Barry Landau's The President's Table: 200 Years of Dining and Diplomacy (Collins).
• Friday, June 1: 9:00 p.m. - 12 Midnight, sponsored by Beacon Press and Friends of Chris Finan to celebrate the publication of ABFFE President Chris Finan's From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America.

Brooklynmania!
Wednesday, May 30
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge (Hotel ABA) and the Borough of Brooklyn
To celebrate ABA's invasion of New York City's largest borough, the association has planned a series of events to take place in Brooklyn on the Wednesday of BEA week. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough (author of The Great Bridge, a history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and 1776, a history of the Continental Army in New York, including George Washington's exploits in and around Brooklyn Heights) and a cadre of Brooklyn authors will be on hand for a series of special events, including walking tours of literary Brooklyn and "A Taste of Brooklyn" author reception at Brooklyn's famous Borough Hall. The events will start in the early afternoon, so booksellers are encouraged to make travel plans accordingly.

SCHEDULE
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Welcome to Brooklyn Kickoff Event (Hotel ABA, Ballroom D)
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Brooklyn Walking Tours
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - "A Taste of Brooklyn" Reception at Borough Hall

Walking tours require advanced registration. Sign up now.

ABA's Day of Education
Thursday, May 31
Brooklyn Bridge Marriott (Hotel ABA)
ABA is holding its fifth annual Day of Education at Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge) on Thursday, May 31. The day, sponsored by Baker & Taylor, will be jam-packed with educational sessions and panels on a number of topics, including staff development, building customer loyalty, public relations, handselling and much, much more. The theme of the Day of Education, Adapting to Change, continues and builds on the program begun at ABA's Winter Institute in Portland, Oregon, this past February.

Although the event is free, you must pre-register as well as sign up for the Breakfast and the Lunch. Open only to ABA Bookstore Members.

• What Are You Reading? Breakfast
  Thursday, May 31: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (Ballroom D/E)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Hosted by ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana
  With a day full of information on the business of bookselling, it's important to take a moment to remember why we're all here: Books! Break bread with bookseller colleagues and editors from publishing houses from around the country and engage in unmoderated discussions about your favorite handsells. The event is free; however, separate reservations are required -- watch for details to come.
  
  
• Plenary Session: Adapting to Change
  Thursday, May 31: 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. (Ballroom D/E)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Cathie Black, president of the Hearst Magazine Group and author of Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead in Work (And in Life), coming from Crown Business this fall, talks about adapting to change. Black was the first president and publisher of USA Today and is widely credited for the newspaper's success.
  
  
• Expanding Your Bookstore: Why, When, and How
  Thursday, May 31: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Ballroom A/B) and repeated at 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom H)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz
  The ABACUS survey consistently shows that stores below a certain sales volume are much less likely to be profitable. One way to grow your sales is to grow your store. This session will examine the reasons for store expansion and the whens and hows of remodeling existing space, growing existing space, finding new space, and opening a second location. This session is aimed at owners and managers from stores doing less than $1,000,000 per year.
  
  
• Building and Rewarding Customer Loyalty
  Thursday, May 31: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Ballroom F/G) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom G)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  First session presented by ABA Director of BookSense.com and Director of Education Len Vlahos
  Second session presented by ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz
  Books are sold everywhere, so how do you keep customers coming back to your store? This session will explore what customers really want, and how you can foster loyalty by responding to consumer needs. An in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of implementing and marketing a customer loyalty program will be featured.
  
  
• What to Do When the Competition Comes to Town: A Case Study
  Thursday, May 31: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Ballroom H/I) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom H)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA COO Oren J. Teicher and Sarah Pishko of Prince Books in Norfolk, Virginia
  This is the first in a series of sessions tracking one store's response to a chain competitor's plan to open a store in the community. This session will set the stage, examining the steps needed for a bookseller to put together a cohesive plan to address looming competition. Future sessions will report on the implementation of that plan.
  
  
• ISBN-13 Roundtables
  Thursday, May 31: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Booksellers are invited to join their peers for a discussion of issues relating to their point-of-sale/inventory control systems, particularly how changes related to ISBN-13 are impacting store operations. Discussion groups will be segmented by system, and representatives from each POS vendor will be invited to participate.
  
  
• ABFFE Lunch
  Thursday, May 31: 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. (Ballroom D/E)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Hosted by ABFFE President Chris Finan
  The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Speech (ABFFE) will show a short video dramatizing censorship issues that arise in the daily lives of booksellers. What should you say when someone objects to a particular title or requests a book that you loathe? Booksellers will be invited to discuss with others at their table how they respond to First Amendment challenges. The program is co-sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation and the Freedom to Read Committee of the Association of American Publishers.
  
  
• Staff Development: An Overview
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom C) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom C)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by Chuck and Dee Robinson of Village Books, Bellingham, Washington
  This session takes a high-altitude view of how hiring, training, and managing staff is as much art as it is science. Topics will include hiring people who will add strength to the store, recognizing and building upon an employee's unique abilities, and creating a work environment that motivates staff.
  
  
• How to Be the Story: Developing and Implementing a Public Relations Plan
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom F) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom F)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA Membership Director Meg Smith
  On average, independent bookstores spend two percent of their annual budget on advertising. But what is the budget for public relations? What's the difference between advertising and PR? This session will show how a comprehensive public relations plan can have a greater impact on a store's visibility than advertising, and at a much lower cost. Learn how to formulate and execute a PR plan. Booksellers will break into groups to tackle hypothetical PR problems.
  
  
• Improve Efficiency to Achieve Success
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom G)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA Information Director Dan Cullen
  This seminar will show you how to use your time more effectively, make your staff more productive, and implement efficiencies throughout the store. Intended for owners and senior staff of bookstores of all sizes, the session will focus on how to streamline routine functions so that more time and energy can be devoted to achieving the goals you have set for your store.
  
  
• Participating in the Digital Revolution: High Altitude
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m (Ballroom A)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA Director of BookSense.com and Director of Education Len Vlahos
  Every day, the news is rife with stories of how technology is changing the way people interact, acquire information, and, especially, the way they consume it. How are phenomena such as digitization of content, social networking, open source, and distributed computing affecting independent booksellers today, and how will they affect booksellers in the near future? This session will explore the latest developments in the technosphere and how they impact booksellers.
  
  
• Participating in the Digital Revolution: Low Altitude
  Thursday, May 31: 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom A)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Presented by ABA Director of BookSense.com and Director of Education Len Vlahos
  This session follows "Participating in the Digital Revolution: High Altitude" by providing hands-on information on why and how booksellers should, and can, create MySpace pages and blogs. Includes live demonstrations.
  
  
• Book Clubs: A Panel
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom B) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom B)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Moderated by Barbara Mead of Reading Group Choices; Panelists Mark LaFramboise of Politics & Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C.; Jennifer Laughran of Books Inc. in San Francisco; Roz Parr of Random House; and Amy Baker, Associate Director of Marketing, Harper Perennial & Ecco
  Barbara Mead of Reading Group Choices will lead a panel of independent booksellers and publishing industry publicity professionals as they discuss the value of promoting, hosting, and working with book clubs. Bring your own best book club ideas to discuss in breakout sessions.
  
  
• Getting More Out of Your Children's Section: Managing Selection, Service, and Store Environment for Category Growth
  Thursday, May 31: 1:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Ballroom I) and repeated at 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Ballroom I)
  Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
  Moderated by Kristen McLean, executive director of the Association of Booksellers for Children
  Panelists: Carol Chittenden, Children's Buyer, Bookstream, and owner of Eight Cousins Children's Bookshop, Falmouth, MA; Elizabeth Bluemle, Chair of The New England Children's Bookseller's Association and co-Owner of The Flying Pig, Shelburne, VT; and Erin Taylor, owner of Wonderland Books & Toys, Rockford, IL, and 2007 Winner of the Pannell Award - Children's Store
  
  Children's books are one of the brightest spots for growth in the book industry, but managing this category for healthy sales requires a challenging and strategic approach. Three important areas booksellers need to address to successfully grow their children's book business will be explored: building a kid-friendly environment; picking the right books; and finding and training charismatic kids' book specialists. This session also will address the importance of handselling children's books, and arm participants with some quick and easy "Ideas That Work" to implement right away to boost children's sales. This session, designed specifically for children's booksellers, is presented in conjunction with the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC).

The Day of Education curriculum in Brooklyn also includes programming for children's booksellers by the Association of Booksellers for Children, and programming for college stores by the National Association of College stores.

ABA's Celebration of Bookselling
Thursday, May 31: 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. (Ballroom D/E)
Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge)
Sponsored by Ingram Book Company/Ingram Publisher Services; live music provided by Putumayo World Music

The Celebration of Bookselling is moving to Thursday night at Hotel ABA, capping ABA's Day of Education. All are invited to snack, drink, and share in the celebration of the 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards, presented to the authors and illustrators in four categories -- Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Literature, and Children's Illustrated. Publishers Weekly's Bookseller and Rep of the Year awards and the Pannell Awards also will be presented. Live music by the Eliza Lynn Trio, provided by Putumayo World Music. Free of charge. Open to all BEA attendees.

BookSense.com Users Group Meeting
Friday, June 1: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
Moderated by BookSense.com staff. BookSense.com users will learn about the latest features of BookSense.com, as well as planned enhancements to the product. There also will be a Q&A period. Non-BookSense.com stores are welcome to attend.

Book Sense Gift Cards Users Group Meeting
Friday, June 1: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
Moderated by Jill Perlstein, ABA Marketing Director
Current participants are encouraged to attend to learn about enhancements to the program's security, administrative site, and card-ordering system. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A period. Booksellers who are considering joining the gift card program are welcome to attend.

Book Sense Author Lunch
Friday, June 1: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Special Events Hall
A favorite at BEA for six years running, this luncheon -- open exclusively to stores with Book Sense -- is a festive gathering of booksellers and 50 authors whose books they have made past or present Book Sense Picks. Reservations are limited to two people per bookstore. Because seating is limited, booksellers are urged to make their reservations as soon as possible via e-mail to BEALunch@bookweb.org. (Be sure to include "bealunch" in the subject line of the e-mail.) Questions regarding the Lunch should be addressed to mark@booksense.com. Open only to Book Sense bookstores.

ABA Town Hall Meeting
Friday, June 1: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
Hosted by ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana, and Vice President Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona. An opportunity for ABA member booksellers to voice their opinions and to share their ideas with ABA Board members and staff in a less formal setting than the ABA Annual Membership meeting, which follows. Ask questions and make suggestions, discuss ABA's Education Program, Book Sense, sales tax and small-business health care issues, Book Sense Gift Cards, the ABACUS Study, Above The Treeline, or anything else on your mind! Open to all ABA members.

ABA Annual Meeting
Friday, June 1: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B02/1B03/1B04
The ABA Board and Chief Executive Officer Avin Mark Domnitz will report on the implementation of the association's Strategic Plan during the prior 12-month period. All ABA members are encouraged to attend this meeting, where they will be asked to vote on a change to the association's bylaws.

Above the Treeline Training Sessions & Discussions
Saturday, June 2: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center:

• Prospective Retailer Invite
  Saturday, June 2: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
  Live demonstration of Above the Treeline's new retail user interface and great new enhanced reporting features. Learn about how becoming part of the Above the Treeline Community of stores can help you gain a new perspective on your inventory and sales.
  
  
• Treeline U - Supplier Collaboration
  Saturday, June 2: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
  This class will provide an overview of how Above the Treeline can help you establish a mutually beneficial relationship with your supplier. It will demonstrate how you and your supplier can work together to optimize your largest shared asset: your inventory. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Multi-Store
  Saturday, June 2: 11:30 a.m. - 12 Noon
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
  This class is designed for organizations that have more than one store participating in Above the Treeline. It will review all the key areas where you can take advantage of either your combined store data, or the options to compare your stores to one another. It is suitable for buyers and owners at HQ. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Returns and Restocking
  Saturday, June 2: 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B05
  This class will dig into how exactly Above the Treeline can help with your returns and restocking process. It will demonstrate how you can easily access lists of titles that are not selling in your store or elsewhere, and lists of titles you've sold that aren't in stock. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Above the Treeline Basics
  Saturday, June 2: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
  This class will walk through a basic overview of Above the Treeline, with a special focus on using top sellers and other title lists to identify titles your store may be missing that would sell. It is intended for new Treeline users and existing customers that need a refresher course. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Panoramic View
  Saturday, June 2: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
  This class will give you an in-depth look at this new and powerful feature. The Panoramic View chart takes on-hand and sales data across the market and summarizes it for you in a fascinating, easy-to-use way. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Category Mix
  Saturday, June 2: 11:30 a.m. - 12 Noon
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
  This class is suitable for users that are familiar with the basics of Above the Treeline and want to dig in deeper. It will show how Above the Treeline can help you optimize your category mix and inventory levels. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U - Open to Buy
  Saturday, June 2: 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
  Learn all about the new Open to Buy feature in Above the Treeline. Find out how you can create Budgets by forecasting inventory and sales goals relative to last year. The program matches these forecasts with outstanding orders and calculates how much inventory you should buy or return. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Prospective Supplier Invite
  Saturday, June 2; 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C05
  Live demonstration of the supplier module and the retailer's module. See exactly how your editorial, marketing, and sales force can benefit from the collaborative data-sharing and business analysis tools provided by Above the Treeline.
  
  
• Treeline U Suppliers: Account Management
  Saturday, June 2: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C05
  Learn how to create and manage titles lists that your collaborating stores will be able to interact with, such as lists of core titles, seasonal titles and fast movers. Find out how you can manage users within your publishing house, and track their usage of Above the Treeline. Setting up preferences for various emailed reports also will be covered. In addition, learn how to compare individual store stock to your top titles and quickly see what is missing; check on front-list orders; see how store stock matches to custom title lists, including lists of core or seasonal titles; create suggestion lists and communicate them; and help identify potential returns. This session is for existing users.
  
  
• Treeline U Suppliers: Market Tracking
  Saturday, June 2: 12 Noon - 1:00 p.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C05
  See how you can use Above the Treeline to get quick snapshots of market share for your publishing house within particular categories, based on stores that participate in the program. Also find out how to track sales, inventory, and turn; see week-to-week sales trends for titles; and assess sales and stock patterns by region or by individual store. Great for both editorial staff and sales teams. This session is for existing users.
  
  

ABA Information Sessions
ABA has a rich history of scanning the business and retail landscape to provide members with exciting, provocative programming on a wide range of subjects. Past topics have included coping with disaster, building local business alliances, and partnering with other independent retailers. Watch Bookselling This Week and BookWeb.org for details on this year's program.  

• Localism: Is the Tipping Point at Hand?
  Saturday, June 2: 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1B02/1B03/1B04
  Moderated by ABA COO Oren Teicher. The discussion will include Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future (Times Books/Henry Holt).
  There is growing media coverage and national discussion about the critical importance of community and the value of locally owned businesses to the local economy. Join us for a discussion about the burgeoning "local first" movement, and learn how independent retailers are working together to preserve the diversity of their communities.
  
  
• Social Entrepreneurs: Changing the World
  Saturday, June 2: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  Jacob K. Javits Convention Center: Room 1C02/1C03/1C04
  PublicAffairs will be marking its 10th anniversary with a special panel discussion, "Social Entrepreneurs: Changing the World," co-sponsored by ABA. Moderated by Brian Lamb, founder and chairman of C-Span and author of the Booknotes books series, the panel will feature George Soros, chairman of the Open Society Institute and author of The Age of Fallibility; Wendy Kopp, founder and chair of Teach for America and author of One Day All Children; James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank and author of the forthcoming A Global Life; Mohammud Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and author of Banker to the Poor and a book to be published in January 2008 on social enterprises; and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and/or Teresa Heinz, authors of This Moment on Earth. The discussion will focus on the growing role of social entrepreneurs in solving America's and the world's most serious problems. Over the past generation, social innovators have transformed the way society deals with issues such as poverty, education, health care, the environment and technology.

ABA's Book Sense Lounge
Friday, June 1 - Sunday, June 3
Jacob Javits Convention Center: Room 1E07/1E08
Booksellers can take a break from hectic trade show floor in ABA's members-only Book Sense Lounge. Modeled after frequent flyer lounges, ABA's Book Sense Lounge is a great place for booksellers to grab a cup of coffee and a snack, meet with other booksellers, learn about ABA products and services, have books signed by some of their favorite authors, or just get off their feet for a while. Booklog's Internet Cafe, where booksellers can check their e-mail, will be back again this year. The lounge will be open during trade show hours, but closed on Friday at 3:00 p.m. for the ABA Town Meeting and Membership Meeting. Open to all ABA members.

• Book Sense Autographing
  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Times TBD
  Continuing the success of past years' Book Sense Autographing sessions, the ABA's Book Sense Lounge will be the place to go for autographed books from some of independent booksellers' favorite authors. Authors whose works have appeared on the Book Sense Picks lists will be available to sign their books and meet booksellers. Check upcoming editions of Bookselling This Week for the official lineup with dates and times. An updated schedule will be available in the Lounge during the show.
  
  
• Join the DEFINE-A-THON phenomenon!
  Saturday, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  The BookSense.com/American Heritage Dictionary DEFINE-A-THON is a game of vocabulary strength that ups the ante on word-based competition. Developed by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionary, this quick-paced game takes participants beyond the spelling bee. The host will give each contestant a definition, followed by several possible answers. The contestant must choose the correct one. As the competition progresses, the degree of difficulty increases until two contestants are left. These two players will enter the final round with new rules and higher stakes. Pit your knowledge of English against that of your friends and colleagues -- the DEFINE-A-THON will separate the vocabulary geniuses from the vocabulary wannabes. The winner will receive an iPod Nano and an American Heritage Dictionary reference library. Each of the two runners-up will receive an American Heritage College Dictionary.

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
ABA's separately endowed non-profit foundation, ABFFE, is dedicated to promoting and protecting First Amendment rights for booksellers.

• ABFFE Offers Colorful BookExpo America T-shirt
  The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is once again offering a BookExpo America souvenir T-shirt. The 2007 shirt features “Globy,” the mascot of this year’s event, reading a book that has the colorful Manhattan skyline on its cover. The $20 shirts are available in the ABFFE booth in the Crystal Palace. A store operated by ABFFE and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund also will sell several T-shirts with First Amendment themes.
  
  
• ABFFE Silent Auction Offers the Best Bargains at BEA
  The ABFFE Silent Auction offers great bargains on dozens of items of interest to booksellers and other book industry professionals, including new and autographed books, sidelines, sports and entertainment events, and hotel and event packages for most of the regional bookseller shows this fall. The silent auction begins Friday morning and ends Saturday at 5 p.m. It is located in the ABFFE booth in the Crystal Palace.
  
  
• Rock Bottom Remainders Performance to Benefit Book Industry Foundation Friday Night
  On Friday, June 1, the all-author band Rock Bottom Remainders will celebrate its 15^th anniversary with a benefit performance at Webster Hall at 9 p.m. The Remainders include Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Roy Blount, Jr., Greg Illes, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Stephen King, Matt Groening, James McBride, Amy Tan, and Scott Turow. Special guests will include Roger McGuinn, Frank McCourt, and Andy Borowitz. The Book Industry Foundation (BIF) supports ABFFE and the Association of American Publishers’ Get Caught Reading campaign. A third charity, 826NYC, which encourages the creative and expository writing skills of teenagers, also will share in the proceeds. The Saturday BIF event, which was to have starred Jon Bon Jovi, has been cancelled.
  
  
• Booksellers Invited to Celebrate New Book by ABFFE President Chris Finan
  ABFFE, the American Booksellers Association, and Beacon Press are inviting booksellers to join them in celebrating the publication of ABFFE President Chris Finan’s book, From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America, the first comprehensive study of the growth of free speech in the United States. The party will be held on Friday night between 9:00 p.m. and 12 Midnight at the Hotel ABA (the Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge, Legends Ballroom).
  
  
• ABFFE Lunch
  ABFFE President Chris Finan will host lunch as part of ABA’s Day of Education on Thursday, May 31, at Hotel ABA (New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge) from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. A short video will be shown dramatizing censorship issues that arise in the daily lives of booksellers. What should you say when someone objects to a particular title or requests a book that you loathe? Booksellers will be invited to discuss with others at their table how they respond to First Amendment challenges. The program is co-sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation and the Freedom to Read Committee of the Association of American Publishers.

ABA Prospective Booksellers School
Tuesday, May 29 - Friday, June 1
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge (Hotel ABA) (Roebling/Gleason)
Friday: Jacob Javits Convention Center, Room: 1B02/1B03/1B04
This four-day workshop for new and prospective booksellers, sponsored by ABA and facilitated by Donna Paz and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates, will explore strategies for opening and growing a profitable bookstore. Recent graduates have opened successful bookstores in Chattanooga, TN; Fayetteville, AR; Oskaloosa, IA; and many other cities. This school always sells out, so reserve your space early! For more information and to register, visit ABA's website, BookWeb.org, at https://www.bookweb.org/education/9300.html.