Bookazine Gives $1,500 to Independent Booksellers of NYC

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 5/1/2009 7:42:00 AM

The Independent Booksellers of New York City has received a stimulus package of sorts: a gift of $1,500 from independent wholesaler Bookazine. It’s the first major contribution from a fellow industry independent and NYC-area business for IBNYC, which launched last fall with the goal of raising awareness about the city’s independent bookselling community. The non-profit organization says it will use the donation to promote the more than 75 alliance members to local consumers.

Richard Kallman is executive v-p and co-owner of Bookazine, a family-owned wholesaler that has been supplying books to regional retailers for 80 years. He said, “We were thrilled for the opportunity to make a contribution to the NYC bookselling community. Now more than ever it is urgent that booksellers work together to find new and creative ways to move into the future.” Chris Doeblin, IBNYC board member and owner of the academic bookstore Book Culture, said Bookazine’s donation is a huge boost. “The fact that it comes from Bookazine, whose roots are in Manhattan, makes it wonderful. The support and recognition of our early efforts to organize the IBNYC is just terrific.” Bookazine is now in Bayonne, N.J.

Doeblin said the money will go into IBNYC’s general account and will likely be used to redesign IBNYC’s website and to promote NYC Indie Bookstore Week, which takes place November 15 to 21.