In This Issue
Holiday Catalog Hits
Read On, Kids!
Indies First Wrap-Up
NWBL Noteworthies
Member Notes
Calendar






Ingram 09/10

Partners Skyscraper 11/09

NWBL Skyscraper











































Catalog-Boosted Bestsellers
Unique-to-the-Northwest Hits!

Each Wednesday in December is a little bit like Christmas when the Pacific Northwest Independent Bestseller List is unveiled. There are always surprises and, sometimes, just the book I was banking on.

There's nothing more satisfying than justifying the sales pitch I made to a publisher way back in May with a December email link to their book residing upon our list.

In recent weeks, your efforts in-store and around town in support of the Holiday Books campaign have ignited much spirited communique. Imagine happy PNBA marketing guy slapping cross-country high-fives with happy publishing marketing folks.

Shake, Soup Night, Two Old Women, The Moth, Dream Animals, The Snatchabook, What the Heart Knows--these are just some of the books that Northwest bookstores have put their gold stamp on this holiday season.

Keep the weekly gifts coming! I know you will.

Cheers,
Brian

Visit the HC page on the PNBA website to take advantage of campaign-enhancing resources and for reimbursement and sales reporting forms.

 

Kids Right to Read Prevails
Idaho Censorship Effort Thwarted

"Recently, a school superintendent in Driggs, Idaho abruptly removed the classic Chicano novel Bless Me, Ultima from high school classrooms after a parent complained about language in the book. The superintendent had not read the novel. In his words, he did not need to: any work with a bad word in it must itself be "bad media." He felt no need to go through the rigmarole of following district complaint procedures; he had heard all he needed to hear.  

That's where the Kids' Right to Read Project (KRRP), a grassroots initiative founded by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship, stepped in. KRRP sent letters to the superintendent and members of the school board urging them to restore the book.

Just two days later, the school board met to discuss its policies and the superintendent emotionally and apologetically restored access to the book, stating that he hadn't realized just how much support the book had in the community and beyond.
 
Each month, KRRP lends its support to teachers, librarians, students, parents and administrators who are fighting to keep a challenged book in a school or library in communities across the country. This fall, the rate of book censorship activity has more than doubled; in November alone, KRRP battled three times the average number of cases with 12 total over the course of just 4 weeks."

--Acacia O'Connor, Coordinator, Kids' Right to Read Project, National Coalition Against Censorship

Launched in 2007 by ABFFE and the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Kids' Right to Read Project provides support, education, and advocacy to people fighting book challenges. To date, KRRP has confronted challenges and bans involving over 250 titles in 28 states.

The First Indies First
An Impressive Debut!

Customers turned out, sometimes in droves, to meet authors who had signed on to become booksellers at local independent bookstores for the debut Indies First campaign, conceived by the Northwest's own Sherman Alexie just this summer.!

Read the rundown, Inaugural Indies First a Big Success, on BookWeb.

And you can help ABA plan for next year by participating in this Indies First Survey.

Noteworthies 
Recent Highlights


*  James Crossley tried to shine us on in his eggnog-infused December Cup of News that he wasn't a fan of holiday music but relented after a therapeutic handsell session of some subtle holiday gems.

*  NWBL staff has been loving the holiday-themed newsletters and gift guides from PNBA member stores. Online editor, Tegan Tigani, gathered up a few for this holiday recommendation roundup.

*  One of the coolest Visit a Stores ever--the America's Cup hung out at Watermark Book Company!

 *  In Susan Richmond's latest Thinklings column she had the guts to identify a couple of books for which she will most definitely never write a shelftalker. We Like What We Like.

Member Notes

Village Video
Paul Hanson doing the worm. Chuck Robinson doing, uh.... You just have to see it for yourself. You can start shaking your head, now. When We Lock the Doors.

More Store Contacts!
PNBA wants to add more staff contacts to your member profile. Member bookstores and libraries can submit as many staff contacts as they can gather, which means more individuals with access to Footnotes as well as Bookseller Blast free publisher ARC offers.

The more participants we have, the more attractive PNBA programs become to publishers planning marketing campaigns! Please submit store contacts to Marketing Director, Brian Juenemann.

Partners/West Holiday Schedule

Customer Service hours:
Monday through Friday:  7:30am - 6:00pm, PST
Saturday and Sunday:  10:00am - 1:30pm, PST
 
All orders received by normal cut off times ship same-day, M - F.

Orders shipped on Friday will deliver on Saturday to most WA and OR locations. Orders received by noon on Sundays will deliver on Monday to most WA and OR locations.
 
Electronic orders 24/7.
 
Office will close at 3:00pm on Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Office and warehouse closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.
 
Partners/West will resume normal operating hours, 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m., M - Friday, Thursday, December 26th.

Ingram Holiday Schedule

Holiday Customer Care Hours:
5:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., PST
Phone: 800-937-8200
[email protected]
 
Customer Care will be closed:
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2013, 2014 Calendar   
 
Jan 10          HC Sales Reports/Reimbursement Requests Due
Jan 16          BPNW meeting, Seattle

Jan 21-24     Winter Institute 2014, Seattle
Jan 26, 27    PNBA Annual Board Retreat, Troutdale
Mar 26         ABA Spring Forum, Portland (details TBA)
Apr 7           ABA Children's Institute, San Antonio 
   
Classifieds
Now On NWBL

PNBA classified advertisement listings are now featured on the NW Book Lovers blog. NWBL greatly broadens the options and the audience for NW book-related postings. Current PNBA members are eligible for free classifieds. Contact Tegan Tigani for guidelines and scheduling.

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