NCIBA's Hut Landon: Support Your Local Bookseller

Located within San Francisco's Presidio, it seems appropriate that NCIBA's headquarters are in a building complex called the Thoreau Center for Sustainability, where other nonprofits—many of which promote the “buy local” movement—also rent space. Hut Landon, executive director of NCIBA, has plenty to say about supporting locally owned businesses. “The ABA's IndieBound program is the best thing to come around for our member stores in a very long time. It speaks so clearly to the consumer, to the book buyer, and easily allows bookstores to educate their customers about the importance of buying locally,” Landon said. “It also encourages interaction between booksellers and other independent businesses in a specific area. BookSense missed the boat on this.”

The abrupt and emblematic closure of Cody's this year has not deterred Landon from his positive approach to NCIBA's future. As its annual trade show in Oakland approaches, he acknowledges that while attendance has dropped over the past half-dozen years, it's been stable since 2006 and remains one of the most well-attended regional shows in the country. The association covers a small geographic area, with almost 150 member stores within 60 miles. This proximity makes it more convenient for attending members to go home at the end of the day rather than have to stay in a hotel. And that savings enables more booksellers to attend.

“We're well aware that there are cost factors involved in having the publishers come out for the show,” Landon said. “It's primarily for this reason that we've raised our rates by only $10 a table over the last five years.” NCIBA is also accommodating publishers by creating show events that feature books on the forthcoming winter/spring lists in addition to the traditional focus on fall holiday titles.

Similar to booksellers facing a changing marketplace, publishers are trying to figure out what works for them at the shows. Random House didn't buy any exhibit space at last year's NCIBA. Instead, the publisher held focus groups for booksellers in a hotel suite, with mixed results. This year, Random is exhibiting again.

Landon acknowledges the shrinking membership of NCIBA over the past five years, but attributes this mostly to the loss of associate members. Although dues are fairly inexpensive, at $75, it's sales reps and small publishers that are defecting these days. And Landon is very enthusiastic about the increased sales of gift cards at member stores. Unlike gift certificates, the cards can be easily and safely displayed (until processed at the cash register, they have no value), and stores have more opportunity to market them.