NEIBA Looks Forward

by Judith Rosen -- Publishers Weekly, 12/11/2006

With a new executive director and strategic plan, the New England Independent Booksellers Association is positioning itself to move forward into a bookselling future that NEIBA president Allan Schmid, owner of Books Etc. in Portland and Falmouth, Maine, characterizes as, if not exactly sunny, closer to partly cloudy. Schmid is hopeful that growing awareness among consumers about the importance of shopping locally at stores owned by independent retailers will have more of an impact in 2007. "It's not all doom and gloom in the book business," he said. "Change is in the wind."

For NEIBA executive director Steve Fischer, a former bookseller who worked in sales for many years at HarperCollins, Tuttle and, most recently, Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari, change is essential if NEIBA is to be part of the vibrant bookselling landscape. The first change he anticipates is new offices for the 33-year-old bookselling association, which will continue to be headquartered in Cambridge or Boston. A potentially more far-reaching change involves the annual trade show. Immediately after Christmas, NEIBA will survey booksellers and exhibitors who attended last year's show to get a better sense of what direction the 2007 event should take.

On a personal level, Fischer plans to begin touring the region to meet as many members as possible in the coming months. "Part of this job for me is totally public relations and spreading the gospel," Fischer said. "I want to toot NEIBA's horn. For example, NEIBA represents 900,000 square feet of retailing space."

Fischer is also looking to improve communications in other ways. "What I would hope NEIBA can do in the coming year or so is become more Web-based," he said. "We need to have more information on the Internet. NEIBA needs to come to its members much like PW Daily does." In addition, Fischer would like to foster more peer programs, like NEIBA's book doctor effort, and set up more bookseller-to-bookseller educational programming.

Fischer is quick to note that none of his plans would be possible if there weren't already a strong organization in place. He has nothing but praise for the contributions of predecessor Rusty Drugan, who led NEIBA for the past 14 years, and assistant director Nan Sorensen, who will stay on with the organization.