As an outgrowth of the day-long Advocates for Independent Retail Summit hosted by the American Booksellers Association in January 2011 in Washington, D.C., the booksellers group announced yesterday in Bookselling This Week, that it has formed a coalition with six other trade associations to promote locally owned businesses. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is coordinating the work of Advocates for Independent Businesses, which was cofounded with the American Independent Business Alliance, American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, Independent Running Retailers Association, National Bicycle Dealers Association, Professional Association of Innkeepers International, and Record Store Day.
“We look forward to working with our partners in AIB on a range of issues that are critical to the health and continued growth of locally owned businesses nationwide,” said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "And we hope even more indie trade organizations will join us in the future. There is much that can be accomplished in terms of public policy if we all work together, as well as many things we can learn from each other to better serve our members."
In other indie bookseller news, the ABA announced that more than 375 authors and 300 bookstores have signed up to participate in Indies First. The grass-roots movement was launched when writer Sherman Alexie called on other authors to join him in handselling at a local independent on Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 30).
