SIBA Seeks Emerging Leaders

March 10, 2006-- As a follow up to the first Emerging Leaders conversation which took place at The Winter Institute and where over 50 booksellers gathered to talk about why the got into book selling and the obstacle that might prevent them from remaining in the book industry, SIBA would like to continue this conversation at the SIBA Trade Show in September. We are looking for southern emerging leaders that have an interest in remaining in the book business for the next twenty years and may have some concerns about how. We'd like for these emerging leaders conversations to include emerging leaders from all areas of the industry so if you have emerging peers from publishing houses, magazines, etc, please let us know who they are so we might contact them as well. Please forward this request onto all of your staff and please let us know if you'd like to join this Emerging Leaders community. You can email emleaders@gmail.com or sebajewell@aol.com

Columbia, SC, January 23, 2006: On January 1st, 2006 the Southeast Booksellers Association—one of the largest regional trade association for independent booksellers in the country, officially changed its name to The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA). The change reflects an increased commitment towards activism and advocacy for the independent bookstore in the South.

With a territory stretching from Louisiana to Virginia, SIBA’s region encompasses the entire southern quarter of the United States, making it geographically one of the largest regional trade association for booksellers in the country. Nearly 300 independent bookstores employing over 2000 booksellers are currently represented by SIBA.

Coinciding with the name change, SIBA unrolled a new logo and a new look for its website, www.sibaweb.org. Both the logo and the site are designed to show SIBA as an active organization whose members are a vital part of their communities. The website emphasizes such community-focused programs as The Southern Independent Bestseller List, the SIBA Book of the Year Awards, as well as alliances with national media like The Spoken Word Radio program from Public Radio Partnership, and other regional and national industry trade organizations.

“The reason we changed the name from an ‘association’ to an ‘alliance,’” said Wanda Jewell, the Executive Director of SIBA. “is part of our commitment to become a marketing tool for our stores. We are focusing on the retail alliances and buy local campaigns and the new logo will support that effort.”

SIBA is the sponsor of Booksignings.net, a website service that lists author appearances and book signings at independent bookstores nationwide. It also sponsors one of the largest tradeshows for booksellers in the country each September, attracting nearly 2000 attendees, presenters and exhibitors every year.

SEBA Announces $25,000 Relief Fund Contribution

On Tuesday, September 27, the Southeast Booksellers Association (SEBA) announced that it would be matching ABA's initial contribution to the Bookseller Relief Fund with a $25,000 contribution from the SEBA Board Reserve Fund.

"As hurricane season has become a part of the southern landscape in recent years, it is important that there be an avenue for booksellers who suffer from disasters," said SEBA President Sally Brewster of Park Road Books in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Many SEBA bookstores, even as far back as Hurricane Hugo, have suffered losses and there has not been a way to directly help those bookstores."

Brewster continued, "It is important for SEBA member stores to know that SEBA wants to respond to their needs in as many ways as possible, and this is one way that SEBA feels we can support our members. This is a wonderful way to support independent bookstores nationwide, and we hope that the fund is rarely used, but it is there for bookstores that need the help."

Wanda Jewell, Executive Director
Southeast Booksellers Association
2611 Forest Drive #124
Columbia, SC 29204

803.779.0118 Fax: 803.779.0113
wanda@sebaweb.org, www.sebaweb.org