Table of Contents From the President Bibliography for Beginners: Part 1 References An Online-Auction Primer for Booksellers A Founder’s View – A Personal Opinion Bookselling on the Internet A Conversation with Advance Book Exchange (ABE) Committee Reports

Bibliography is the study of books as material objects. One father of modern bibliography, Sir Walter Greg, referred to it further as “the science of transmission of literary documents. As booksellers, bibliography takes on other aspects, including the description of condition. Bibliographies, or, more properly, books which are bibliographical, fall into five general categories: i) enumerative the simple list. Included are checklists by author, geographical region, publisher, etc. These are often most useful in cataloging and recommending titles to customers. Many price guides also fall into this category. ii) descriptive listing, sometimes excruciatingly, the details of the ultimate copy of book in question, to which all others can be compared. These are invaluable in determining a collectible books primacy (which edition was published first.) iii) sociological book history; books as cultural artifacts and how they reflect society. Often cited as grounds for a books importance. iv) literary examine individual copies of a book in order to study the evolution of the text as it travels from author to edition. v) analytical primarily concerned with the physical history of books and the methods of their production. In each of these categories thousands of books, of various quality, have been published, and many include aspects of more than one kind of bibliography. In addition, magazines and library catalogs can be a wealth of bibliographic riches. But where does one start, in a science about which literally thousands of pages have been written? Quite simply, with books. In bookselling, it is usually the first three categories of bibliography which are the most useful. In addition, it is useful to have bibliographical manuals on ones reference shelf. One word of warning: books about books are expensive, but they are also invaluable. In many ways, a booksellers success is a reflection on his or her ability to skillfully use bibliographical material. Learning About Bibliography Over hundreds of years, bibliography has become akin to a science, complete with its own methods and notation. While it can seem arcane to one unfamiliar with it, there are several excellent texts available. For 72 years, R. B. McKerrows An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students has been a bibliographic standard. McKerrow (1872-1940), an amateur printer himself, as well as an editor of 16th and 17th century literature, wrote understandably and clearly, including details of the methods of handpress printing, bibliographical techniques, and typographical history. His book is still in print (ISBN 1-884718-01-9). Fredson Bowers (1905-1991) published an extremely detailed book, Principles of Bibliographical Description, in 1949. Since then it has held its place as an important manual for bibliographers.Throughout his life, Bowers was involved in a number of scholarly publications, including the foundation of Studies in Bibliography (see below) in 1948. His Principles is exhaustive, although, like McKerrow, focused on the handpress period. His discussion of state, edition, and issue is definitive, and his methods of collation and description include every possible variation. This book is also still in print (ISBN 1-884718-00-0). Of real interest to modern booksellers, many of whom may never come in contact with incunables, is Philip Gaskells A New Introduction to Bibliography. A Cambridge scholar, the author discusses the history of book production and its materials in both the hand- and machine press periods, including methods of illustration and cloth types used in binding. This book (ISBN 1-884718-13-2) is a vital reference work. In addition to bibliographic manuals are glossaries of book terminology. John Carters ABC for Book Collectors (ISBN 1-884718-05-1) is a light-hearted but excellent look at terminology from a booksellers point of view. From Yale conservationist Jane Greenfield comesABC of Bookbinding (ISBN 1-884718-41-8). With over 3,000 definitions, the huge Encyclopedia of the Book, by Geoffrey Ashall Glaister, covers book terminology as well as much information on the book trade. A vital source for bibliographical study and technique can be found in the venerable Studies in Bibliography, published by the University of West Virginia. Presently comprised of 50 volumes, they are available virtually on the worldwide web; this edition is completely indexed and features an excellent search engine. Also important to the form of bibliography most commonly used by booksellers are guides to the identification of first editions. The most exhaustive work on the subject is First Editions: A Guide to Identification, by Edward N. Zempel and Linda A. Verkler (Spoon River Press, 3rd edition, 1995, ISBN 0-930358-13-9). This work lists statements by nearly 3,000 publishers as to their methods of edition designation over the years. Not to be forgotten are the two useful manuals A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions (ISBN unavailable) and Points of Issue: A Compendium of Points of Issue of Books by 19th-20th Century Authors, both written and published by Bill McBride (ISBN 0-930313-04-6). Both are small, but extensive. An extensive bibliography of bibliographical texts can be found on the website of the Bibliographical Society of Canada. Be given fair warning: this list is not for the faint of heart. Many of the references are obscure, and represent serious works by professional bibliographers. While method is important, bibliographies themselves are an excellent resource for booksellers. But what makes a good bibliography? Where can they be found? And how can can they be used effectively? A Bibliography, or Just a List? As mentioned in the introduction, bibliographies take on many forms. From check lists to price guides to fully-fledged descriptive bibliographies, they continue to be published by the score. While there is no definitive list of bibliographies, the bookseller is not left without hope. Bibliographies of bibliographies are not uncommon, often indexed by topic and author. Additionally, such books as Patricia & Allen Ahearns Book Collecting 2000 list useful and credible bibliographies (in the case of the aforementioned, some 43 pages.) When it comes to quality bibliographies, there are a few points for which to watch. In the decision whether or not to cite a particular bibliography, ask yourself the following questions: Is the author qualified, perhaps being connected with an institution? Does he or she use standard bibliographic notation? Do they include collation details and a list of copies examined? Has the bibliography been published by a recognized publisher, or is it self-published? If in doubt, refer to it privately and cautiously; it will only erode your own credibility if you cite it. Following is an example entry from one of the finest bibliographies to be published, Dr. Carl Spadonis A Bibliography of Stephen Leacock (ECW Press, 1999, ISBN 1-55022-365-8). The author is the Research Collections Librarian at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and a long time member of the Bibliographical Society of Canada. This particular book deservedly netted him the BSCs Tremaine Medal for excellence in bibliography. A92  CANADA: THE FOUNDATIONS OF ITS FUTURE 1941A92a first edition: [in brown] CANADA | THE FOUNDATIONS | OF ITS FUTURE | by STEPHEN LEACOCK | [illustration within a semi-circle in brown and black of smokestacks, a train, boat, car, airplane, skyscrapers, forests, farm land, and a hydroelectric power station; centered at the base of the semi-circle is a brown leaf within three circles, and below that a rule] | Illustrated by Canadian Artists | [brown rule] | PRIVATELY PRINTED IN MONTREAL, CANADA | MCMXLI 18 210 38 410 58 610 78 8-1010 118 12-1610. i-xvi, xvii-xix, xx-xxi, xxii-xxiii, xxiv-xxvi, xxvii-xxx, 1-3, 4-10, 11-12, 13-20, 21-22, 23-27, 28-31, 32-46, 47-48, 49-52, 53-54, 55-58, 59-60, 61-66, 67-68, 69-70, 71-73, 74-78, 79-80, 81-84, 85-86, 87-95, 96-99, 100-104, 105-106, 107-112, 113-114, 115-120,121-123, 124-128, 129-130, 131-138, 139-140, 141-147, 148-151, 152-162, 163-164, 165-170, 171-172, 173-176, 177-179, 180-186, 187-188, 189-194, 195-196, 197-199, 200-203, 204-210, 211-212, 213-216, 217-218, 219-222, 223-225, 226-228, 229-230, 231-234, 235-236, 237-240, 241-243, 244-250, 251-252, 253-257, 1-13 pp. (150 leaves). 257 × 179 mm. CONTENTS: pp. i-ii blank; p. iii half title; p. iv blank; p. v title; p. vi A PRIVATE AND LIMITED EDITION | COPYRIGHT | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; p. vii dedication by the House of Seagram with the House’s coat of arms in brown; p. viii blank; pp. ix-xv introduction dated October 1941; p. xvi blank; pp. xvii, xviii-xix table of contents; p. xx blank; pp. xxi, xxii-xxiii list of illustrations; p. xxiv blank; p. xxv list of maps; p.xxvi blank; pp. xxvii-xxx author’s foreword; p. 1 blank; p. 2 illustration; pp. 3-250 text (pp. 14, 22, 29, 54, 60, 68, 71, 80, 86, 97, 106, 114, 121, 130, 140, 149, 164, 172, 177, 188, 196, 201, 212, 218, 223, 230, 236, and 241 blank); pp. 251-252 blank; pp. 253-257 index; p. 1 blank; p. 2 illustration of the House of Seagram; p. 3 blank; p. 4 biographical information about Leacock with a photo of him; p. 5blank; p. 6 information on the artists who executed the illustrations; p. 7 blank; p. 8 information about the printer, the Gazette Printing Company; pp. 9-13 blank. Colour illustrations (with tissue guards) on pp. 2, 30, 72, 98, 122, 150, 178, 202, 224, and 242. Black-and-white illustrations on pp. 11, 21, 47, 53, 59, 67, 79, 85, 105, 113, 129, 139, 163, 171, 187, 195, 211, 217, 229, 235, and 259. Maps on pp. 14, 44, 91, 108, 143, 157, 192, 208, and 237. There are also many other illustrations in brown for chapter headings and chapter endings by A. Sheriff Scott. Artists represented: James Crockart (pp. 229, 235); Charles W. Jefferys (pp. 30, 53, 59, 67, 79, 85); Ernest Neumann (pp. 105, 259); H.R. Perrigard (pp. 150, 171, 195, 224); W.J. Phillips (pp. 163, 187, 217, 242); Stanley Royce (pp. 21, 47, 72, 139); A. Sherriff Scott (pp. 2, 11, 98, 178, 211); T.M. Schintz (p. 202); F.H. Varley (pp. 113, 122, 129). TEXT: chapter I The Empty Continent; chapter II The Colonial Era 1534-1713; chapter III British America and French Canada 1713-1763; chapter IV The Foundation of British Canada 1763-1815; chapter V The Middle Period: Ships, Colonies, Commerce 1815 -1867; chapter VI The New Dominion Struggling into Life 1867-1878; chapter VII Bitter Times 1879-1896; chapter VIII The Opening of the Twentieth Century 1896-1914; chapter IX Canada as a Nation; chapter X Canada as a Future World Power. BINDING: There are two binding variants: (1) the deluxe “edition” in red padded leather, gilt tooling on the inside edges of the boards, two signets, all edges gilt. Stamped on the upper board in gilt: [first line in tooled typed] CANADA | The | FOUNDATIONS | OF ITS FUTURE | [Canadian coat of arms with motto in colour mounted within a rectangle] | STEPHEN LEACOCK. Stamped in gilt down the spine: CANADA [illustration of leaf] LEACOCK. Within a plastic bag and enclosed within a red cardboard box; encased in a pictorial card box with flaps similar in design to the endpapers and finally within another plain cardboard box with flaps. (2) light blue buckram, quarter-bound in dark blue buckram, the latter with a vertical rule stamped in gilt on both boards. Enclosed within a blue cardboard box and apparently with a protective glassine wrapper. Stamping on the boards is the same as in (1) except the second, third, and fourth lines on the upper board are black. For this binding variant Samuel Bronfman’s signature is reproduced in facsimile on p. xv; Leacock’s signature in facsimile is on p. xxx. Both binding variants have the same endpapers: a black-and-white illustration by Neumann of people at work — mining, fishing, farming, etc. Title-page decoration and cover design by Perrigard. Layout and typography by John W. Morrell. NOTES: Acting on behalf of Samuel Bronfman of the Distillers Corporation — Seagrams Ltd., John Bassett, the president of the Gazette Printing Company and the Montreal Gazette, invited Leacock on 16 July 1940 to write a book on the historical development of Canada. “The idea sounds attractive and happens to be a thing that I have long wanted to do,” Leacock replied by telegram on 18 July 1940. He was paid $5,000 to write the book. He met with Seagram’s representatives during the late summer of 1940 at Old Brewery Bay, his home in Orillia, ON. On Leacock’s instructions, an art advisor, A. Sheriff Scott, a muralist and landscape and portrait painter, was hired for the project in November 1940. Leacock apparently finished the writing of Canada in early February 1941. He corrected page proofs in July of that year. The Montreal poet, A.M. Klein, who worked for Bronfman as a public relations advisor and the principal writer of his speeches and correspondence, criticized Leacock’s text in late September 1941. A number of Klein’s suggested changes were incorporated into the text. Klein also wrote the introduction to the book, and he prepared elaborate inscriptions, which were transcribed by Bronfman in the deluxe copies for presentation to dignitaries and Bronfman’s acquaintances. The book was printed by Gazette Printing Company, bound, and ready for distribution at the end of November 1941. In view of the fact that the book was to be a “limited edition,” Leacock hoped that Seagram’s would quickly dispose of the copyright. He even offered Seagram’s $1,000 in return for the copyright. In fact, Seagram’s kept the book in print until 1967. It was given away free to anyone who asked for a copy. By 1955, 58,000 had been distributed, 73,000 by 1961, and 165,000 by 1967. In 1959 Seagram’s was told to stop distribution of the book in British Columbia because its distribution contravened the anti-advertising section of the B.C. Liquor Act. The first impression probably consisted of 8,000 copies. A92a was printed in 1941, 1943 (twice), 1945, and 1947. In all likelihood the deluxe “edition” consists of 300 to 400 copies. Between December 1942 and April 1943 Bronfman gave away approximately 120 of them. The following information on the printing of the book occurs on p. 8 after the index: The body matter, including head and tail pieces, is letterpress printed in two colours, the secondary colour [brown] being also used for the marginal notes. Black-and-white illustrations are reproduced in single-colour lithography, the same process in six colours being used for the full colour plates. The crest of the Dominion of Canada on the cover is in quadricolour letterpress.   For a complete publishing history of this book, see K87.1.COPIES EXAMINED: CS (both variant bindings, two copies in red leather, one as issued in all boxes);LAT (red leather in red cardboard box); OORI (both binding variants); QMMRB (both variant bindings). This example is worthy of note for several reasons. Spadoni has obviously gone to great lengths to research each title, and includes references to important sources, such as private papers and correspondence. His use of descriptive terminology is exact and follows established convention; he discusses binding variants in detail; and he includes publishing information vital to establishing the books importance. It is possible to make a definitive identification of edition; not included in this example is the entry A92a, listing the extensive, and nearly identical, reprints of this book. Without an excellent biblilography of this nature, an unwitting bookseller may well offer a reprint, and without the glassine jacket, for the same price as the first, limited edition. Additionally, a seller with access to this reference material can include interesting snippets of the books publishing history which would interest a Leacock collector. Not all bibliographies, of course, are as extensive as Spadonis; this does not necessarily diminish their importance. Generic bibliographies, focusing on subject rather than author, can be invaluable. The following example is taken from J. C. PillingsBibliography of the Algonquian Languages, published by the Smithsonian Institutes Department of Ethnology in 1891, is a good example of one such. Pilling, a scholar and collector, amassed a definitive collection of imprints in native american languages which is now at the Newberry Library in Chicago. His bibliographies, nine in number, are still considered indispensible for anyone working with books and ephemera of this nature. His methods, applied before any published bibliographical standards, are more than admirable. Ludewig (Hermann Ernst). The | literature | of | American aboriginal languages. | By | Hermann E. Ludewig. | With additions and corrections | by professor Win. W. Turner. | Edited by Nicolas Trbner. | London: | Trbner and co., 60, Paternoster row. | MDCCCLVIII [1858]. Half-title “Trbner’s bibliotheca glottica.” verso blank 11. title as above verso printer 11. preface pp. v-viii, contents verso blank 11. editor’s advertisement pp. ix-rii, bibliographical notices pp. xv-xxiv, text pp. 1-246, index pp. 247-256, errata pp. 257-258,8. Arranged alphabetically by families. Addenda by Wm. W. Turner and Niccolas Trbner, pp. 210-246. Contains a list of grammars and vocabularies, and among others of the following peoples: American families generally, pp. xv-xxiv; Abenaki, pp. 1-2, 210; Algonquin, pp. 5-7, 210 Arrapahoe, pp. l2, 211, Blackfeet, pp. 19-20, 212; Canada, pp. 27,215; Chippewa, pp. 41-45, 217; Delaware, pp. 63-66, 220; Etchemin, p. 221 Illinois, p. 86; Kikkapu, p. 92; Knistenaux, pp. 91-95, 225; Massachusetts, pp .107-109, 228; Menominie, p. 111; messisauger, pp. 111, 228; Miami, pp. 116-117; Mikmak, pp. 117-118, 230; Milicite, p. 119; Minetare, p. 119; Minsi, pp. 120, 230; Mohegan, pp. 123-125, 231; Nanticoke, pp. 130-131, 232; Narraganset, pp. 131-132, 233; New Brunswick, pp. 133, 233; Newfoundland, pp. 133-134; Nipissing, p. 131, Nottoway, p. 135; Ottawa, p. 143; Pampticough, pp. 145-116; Penobscot, pp. 147-118,235; Pennsylvanian, pp. 148, 235; Pequot, p. 149; Piankashaw, p. 149; Pottawatame, p. 153; Powhattan, pp. 153-154; Riccaree, pp. 163.237; Saki, p. 165; St. John’s Indian, pp. 165-166, 238; Sankikani, pp. l66-167; Shawanoe, pp. 172-173, 238; Shinicook, (Montauk), pp. 173-174; Shyenne, p. 175; Sketapushoish (Sheshatapoosh), pp. 176-177; Souriquois, p. 177; Virginia, pp. 197,244. Copies seen: Congress, Eames, Pilling. At the Fischer sale, no. 990, a copy brought 5s. 6d.; at the field sale, no. 1403, $2.63; at the Squier sale, no. 699, $2.62; another copy. no. 1906, $2.38. Priced by Leclerc, 1878, no. 2075, 15 fr. The Pinart copy, no. 565, sold for 25 fr., and the Murphy copy, no. 1540, for $2.50. “Dr. Ludewig, though but little known in this country [England], was held in considerable esteem as a jurist, both in Germany and the United States of America. Born at Dresden in1809, with but little exception he continued to reside in his native city until 1814, when he emigrated to America. In 1816 appeared his ‘Literature of American Local-History,’ a work of much importance, and which required no small amount of labour and perseverance. “These studies formed a natural induction to the present work on ‘The Literature of American Aboriginal Languages,’ which occupied his leisure concurrently with the others, and the printing of which was commenced in August, 1856, but which he did not live to see launched upon the world; for at the date of his death, on the 12th of December following, only172 pages were in type. It had been a labour of love with him for years; and if ever author were mindful of the nonum prematur in annum, he was when he deposited his manuscript in the library of the American Ethnological Society, diffident himself as to its merits and value on a subject of such paramount interest.” Biographic memoir. In this instance, the author has again taken care in transcribing the proper title (that found on the title page), and thoroughly cataloged the contents. He has made notations on prices, particularly useful, even if dated, to booksellers, and included biographical details. Not to be forgotten are enumerative bibliographies. These are useful to booksellers in proportion to the information they contain, but again caution must be taken that they are well-researched and accurate. Below is an example taken from Patricia and Allen AhearnsCollected Books: the Guide to Values, 1998 Edition (Putnam, 1998, ISBN 0-399-14279-7) DICKENS, Charles. Bleak House. London, 1852-53. Illustrated by H. K. Browne. 20 parts in 19, blue pictorial wraps. $2,500. London, 1853. First book edition. Olive-green cloth with vignette. Title page dated “1853.” $4,500. Rebound. $400. While the information is brief, it is informative and useful. Some caution should be taken as to first edition identification from such a work, however. Identification of the edition of some authors works, including the example shown, border on the arcane; it is best to verify your guess with a definitive specialist work. Using Descriptive Bibliographies Great care needs to be used in the citation of descriptive bibliographies. Properly used, they can prove a books value and importance, increasing your credibility. Carelessly used, they can deceive a customer and show up a bookseller as careless and ignorant. In cataloging, including online listings, dont be afraid to refer to bibliographies. An example might be the following, based on the earlier example from Carl Spadonis A Bibliography of Stephen Leacock: Leacock, Stephen CANADA: THE FOUNDATIONS OF ITS FUTURE Privately Printed, Montreal, 1941. First edition. 26 cm x 18 cm; 257 pages. Second variant binding (blue buckram.) A very good copy (spine slightly faded; minor edge wear) in a near fine glassine jacket (minor chips from bottom of back strip.) In an uncommonly fine slip case. One of about 8,000 copies. A beautiful book, commissioned by Seagrams, giving a summary of Canadas history as only Leacock can. Spadoni A92a. $X Several points of interest have been gleaned from the bibliography, namely: i) the fact that the book originally had a glassine jacket, in addition to the slipcase. This needs to be mentioned as a highlight, as this early plastic does not hold up well under use. ii) the approximate number printed for the first edition. iii) the fact that there are two variant bindings. iv) details about the publisher, which are not readily apparent from the book itself. A customer, seeing the bibliographical citation at the bottom, will have confidence in the description, including the statement of edition, and may even have learned a thing or two. This can make the difference in a customers decision between online listings, even if the price is slightly higher than others, and may result in future sales to the same collector. Why? Responsible use of a bibliography. It should be noted that there are several methods used in citing bibliographies. In the example above, namely a work universally accepted as the definitive study of this particular subject or author, the name of the bibliographys author and the entry number will suffice. Numbered entries, while handy, are by no means universal; in such cases, such as Pilling, above, the authors name and the page number are acceptable, ie: Pilling p. 319. If the citation is a bit obscure, or if there is any question of a customer being confused by the reference, it is best to name the bibliography in full, the author, and the entry or page number. A citation by author only may feel impressive, but if it confounds the customer, it may result in a lost sale. Additionally, it is best not to cite simple enumerative bibliographies, especially if they are primarily price guides. A Vital Resource Bibliography is vital to book history and bookselling; bibliographies are an important, though expensive, tool that no bookseller should be without. While their number abounds, all do well to use caution in their use and selection. With effort, though, a bookseller with an interest in accuracy and understanding can excel in their cataloging by using careful bibliographic method. In future articles, we will address the specifics of bibliographic method in various aspects of bookselling, beginning with the hand press period (roughly defined as before 1800). Starting as a bookscout in the Toronto area, David Armstrong has been a bookseller for four years. Since moving to Alberta three years ago, he has narrowed his specialties to Canadiana and Western Canadian history. Although bibliomania runs in his family, it does not extend to his patient and longsuffering wife. He has hopes for his three small children.

Part One: Selling All thats required is a connection to the Internet and a digital camera or scanner. The process of putting auctions on the web is very simple, taking a little extra time owing to photo preparation but otherwise quite comparable to the task of book input for databases such as ABE. Online auction descriptions generally consist of three parts: the all-important photo, the headline and the description. You could list your auctions online without photos, but prices realized will be substantially lower than those achieved using even the most primitive photos. Scanners have come rocketing down in price, to around $100 for a very tolerable new one; digital cameras of high enough quality for web use can be had for $250. Software for preparing photographs for upload comes with your scanner and/or camera, and these products are getting amazingly easy to use. That said, I highly recommend Adobe Photoshop for preparing photos. Its a mind-boggling program with a high learning curve, but well worth the troubleand its fun!! Any details you can show will be of interest to potential buyers. Closeups are great, especially of signatures– and of flaws that cant quite be made out in a full-size photo. Remember in preparing photographs that the maximum resolution permitted on the web is 72dpi; anything over this is a waste of download time, it wont be seen by potential buyers. In general photos should be no more than 30k in size, in order to download quickly. Online shoppers are notoriously impatient. (Mind you, as people get faster connections, like cable and DSL, the importance of file size will diminish). The headline is the next item of interest. Consider your target buyer(s) carefully. You only get 75 characters or so for your headline, so you have to make them count. We have found that jokes and teasing headlines can attract a lot of traffic, but if you have a specialty item of primary interest to collectors, take this into account in composing your pitch. Put yourself in the position of a potential buyerwhat would make you click on a headline?? Dont use L@@K! headlines, capital letters, or exclamation points; these look unprofessional and cheapen your offering. Abbreviate when you can (1st ed. is fine, especially if you can squeeze some other more tantalizing information in), but not so much that the sense is lost (or that it begins to sound like one of those personal ads for singles). In describing your offering, be as comprehensive as you can without being boring. A light, informative, breezy style works wonders; a friendly tone rather than a forbidding one attracts bidders. It is always important to bear the psychology of the target customer in mind. If youre selling to a collector, youll want to be more detailed in describing condition; but if youre selling a reading copy, focus on the content. Slant your description more towards specialists or towards lay persons, balancing the need for brevity against the need to convince both experts and the most casual browsers that you know your onions, and that youll be a fair and reliable trading partner. Always include your shipping and return policies on auction descriptions, together with your preferred form of payment. Now youre ready to choose a category, an opening price and have at it. Remember in choosing categories that specialty items might do better in other categories than Books. Try putting a coffee-table book on Faberge in the vintage jewelry category, for instance, lacemaking in the Sewing category, and so on. We tend to start auctions off at the lowest price consistent with a barely-reasonable margin. The reason for this is that contested auctions bring the highest hammer prices; the goal is to attract at least two highly interested bidders. Having once bid, a potential buyer tends to look on the item in a far more proprietary manner. Those who cannot bear to be beatennote well that this is a character trait and not a professional or a consumer oneare an auctioneers delight. Reserves are okay for very high priced items, but bidders tend to look on them unfavorably; we never use them ourselves and have had excellent results from our first experiences in 1997 to the present day. It bears mentioning also that those who prefer to wait and squeeze absolute top dollar prices out of their merchandise are ill-suited to the auction world, which is primarily about turnover. Dont forget, though, that every dollar you have tied up in merchandise is a dollar you cant use. Booksellers tend to accumulate inventory faster than they can catalogue or sell it. So turnover at auction, the rapid liquidation of saleable assets, can be a very useful tool, judiciously used. Part Two: Bidding It is well known that rarities generally have become suddenly and dramatically easier to find via the Internet. The online auction has further facilitated this perfection of the market. All kinds of weird developments in the antiques and collectibles markets have occurred as a result of the increased liquidity. Most commonly, the truly rare has escalated in price, while the relatively plentiful objects in any category, formerly supposed to be scarce, have been “flushed out” by the demand, so that prices drop. So it’s an exciting time to be a collector. To trade successfully in an online auction, it’s often necessary to ask a lot of questions. It is crucial to gauge the seller’s knowledge of the category in question, just as in a real-world sale. Ignorance and sophistication both can be used to a buyer’s advantage. In the matter of buying rarities generally there are always instances where even the most knowledgeable experts can be fooled. One is easily tempted to imbue an unseen object with dreamy virtues, like a blind date as yet unseen, but knowledgeable buyers aren’t ordinarily so easily fooled. You’ve got to be on your toes. A good rule of thumb for a beginner is never to bid on an object with no photo included. Another cautious policy to follow: if no money back guarantee is offered, don’t bid. Many if not most of the members of IOBA, of course, are highly sophisticated collectors and well able to read between the lines of any real-world auction catalogue. The same rules one would apply to dealing with any new dealer also apply here. Online auctions have proxy bidding systems that automatically raise your bid only just enough to lead the auction. You might easily wind up paying very much less than your bid. Don’t ever bid in round numbers! Seasoned participants always add a few cents to the bid. It’s very saddening to be beaten by a penny. Sniping – Confounding Your Competitors Many seasoned auction bidders wait until (literally!) the last few seconds of the auction in order to avoid being sniped, or having the rug pulled out from under them at the last moment. This is achieved by opening two browser windows, with the same auction page in each one. Prepare the bid right up until the last click in one window. In the other, keep pushing the reload button until you get within ten seconds of the auction end (this is really fun!!) Then mouse over to your bid window and bash the Confirm button!! Thanks for reading, good luck to all, and please stay tuned for future installments. Please address your online auction questions to the author at superba@mediaone.net

Getting my vision of IOBA off the ground has been a long, arduous, and sometimes painful project. I had a vision but did not have the necessary skills and knowledge to handle all of the technical aspects. I feel being the messenger has been the most challenging thing I have ever done. Stepping back and letting others develop IOBA, each with our own strong opinions, coming to realize that we all had to compromise on different issues, has been challenging for all of us. Now that the legal aspects have been settled, I am confident that IOBA will be a force to be reckoned with in online bookselling. I was skeptical and somewhat cynical in the organizational stages, but now I feel that what has been accomplished is a great beginning for a good trade association. It was and still is my goal to develop a database, but I think that the new search engine is the next best thing to reaching this goal. How IOBA develops is now up to you, our members. Personally, the subject of ethics and vetting has become a sore point with me. I don’t believe we should dictate how individual dealers conduct their own businesses. I think at best, we should develop minimal standards, that will be viewed as just good business practices. We all need to unite, and develop a fair, equitable IOBA, that we can all be proud of. I have faith that all of you will be able to accomplish this. We have an outstanding board working for the benefit of the membership, and I realize this will be instrumental in the success of IOBA. Sincerely, Sally Hollingsworth Founder Member-At-Large Finance Chair

After having been in the book business for nearly 40 years and having written for years about book collecting, this is the first time we have been asked to write something that is just for dealers. It is our pleasure to do this for IOBA members. We realize there are many members of varying levels of experience in our association, but this is tailored for the new dealer who is looking for some guidance in how to set up and run a successful on-line book business. Over time, we hope to have included enough information to make it useful for all our members. If it isnt, tell us and well try to include your requests in the future. Being a bookseller is not just finding books and putting them up for sale. We all assume well be able to sell the books weve bought at a profit or at the very least, get our money back to buy others. After all, if we liked them and wanted to own them, then there must be other people that will want them. A good theory and it usually works. Being a bookseller is also about running a business that grows each year. Our key advice is to keep your day job until your business has proven it can support you. This way you wont drain your small business of needed growth capital by spending the profits on mundane items such as food. As an Internet dealer without an open store it is important to try to understand the entire book market and how it works because we are all part of the book selling community. Used Book Dealers In the old days (pre 1998) a lot of the used book dealers with open stores did not care what edition a book was. Most of their customers were interested in the subject matter and not the edition. This type of dealer buys books in all subject areas and sells them at relatively low prices. The average hardcover fiction title might be priced at $5 to $7.50 and the dealer probably only pays 25 to 50 cents for such books. The dealer has a high turnover. In order to have gross yearly sales of $100,000 this dealer would have to sell nearly 14,000 $7.50 books a year and must have an inventory of 25,000 to 50,000 books at all times to make a living. A large percentage of the common books never sell but still take up space and may eventually be culled and sold at a loss. The dealer must not only cover his rent and other expenses out of the gross receipts, but new inventory must constantly be purchased to keep customers interested in the stock. Salaries also have to be covered if the dealer has any employees. Most have only part-time help. This doesnt leave a lot left over to live on. Many of these dealers have closed their open stores and are now selling their books on the Internet to a wider market and with a lower overhead. The larger used book stores maintain inventories of at least 100,000 (or more) and have gross sales of approximately $500,000 or more. Their clients not only are buying “reading copies” but they have collectors and specialist dealers as customers because they are looking for “sleepers” (books that are really worth a lot more). Shops have the advantage of serendipitous browsing because customers can actually handle the books and save shipping charges. These stores also have to be open for long hours in order to satisfy the public. Some used book dealers eventually separate their better books and take time to research them bibliographically before pricing them. Many of these stores are now also offering part of their inventory on the Internet and have hired additional staff to catalog their books and maintain their sites. There are dealers that have 75,000 or more books up on the Net. Some dealers have grown to the point of having more than one location and, of course, their stock needs and number of employees grow right along with their gross sales. Specialist Dealers The specialist dealer may have an open store or be open only by appointment and operate from an office or their home. These dealers are generally very knowledgeable in their field of interest. Most have not only invested in the necessary bibliographies they need but constantly add to their shelves any bibliography that comes on the market that will help them. It is the knowledge that the dealer has, as well as the books and the customer service the dealer offers, that builds a clientele that is enviable. This kind of knowledge cannot be casually learned by only browsing other dealers listings on the Net. Many collectors have so much trust in particular dealers that they rarely will buy books from anyone else. The largest of these dealers have yearly gross retail sales of $750,000 and up (with some of them regularly grossing more than a million or more yearly). Before the Internet, the book buyer, collector or dealer had some insight into a particular stores stock only if they were local or on the mailing list for catalogs that most specialists issued (and continue to issue). Now, the stock of most of the specialist dealers is on the Internet in its entirety for all to see. Book Scouts (also known as Book Finders or Pickers) As long as there have been book dealers, there have been book scouts. A book scout is a person that finds books and generally only offers them to dealers and at a price where the dealer can make a profit. The book scout goes to yard sales, estate sales, used book stores, school book sales, library book sales, local auctions, flea markets, Goodwill Industry outlets, Lighthouse for the Blind outlets, etc. Many pay very little for their stock and since they have a low overhead, they can make a good profit by selling to dealers at 50% of retail or by asking the dealer to make an offer instead of pricing the books themselves. No dealer will spend time after time making offers to a scout only to have the scout turn them down frequently. The dealer will quickly see that the scout needs to price their own books and the dealer say “yea” or “nay.” The scout expects to be paid immediately for any books they sell. With the advent of the Internet, the scout now also has the option to put them on the Internet at a slightly marked up price from what they need to sell them for in direct competition with the dealers they used to sell to. Before the Internet, the book buyer, collector and most dealers would never have known about these books until they were listed in a dealers catalog. The scout needs to sell quickly. This is a crucial point to understand as a bookseller. Do you want to turn your stock over at a profit, any profit; or, do you want to hold out for a full retail price. The scout never wants to wait and the specialist may wait forever, but the specialist is usually in the business for the long run and is normally patient. This is an important point because many dealers on the Internet expect to put up a book valued at $1,000 and sell it the next day. On-line Booksellers Not very many years ago booksellers began putting some of their books on-line on one of the first search engines that were available, Interloc run by Dick Wetherford. You used his 800 number to upload your inventory and to do searches or to use the books of other dealers as a research tool. Each month you received a bill for the time you were on his line. Some monthly bills ran $100 and more. Amazon.com was one of the major buyers of books on Interloc and we were all happy to have their orders. In 1998, the critical mass of books came on-line when thousands of dealers put their books on such sites as Advanced Book Exchange (ABE), Bibliofind, Bibliocity, etc. Interloc couldnt compete with this with the computer system they had and although by this time they were moving onto the World Wide Web, it was too late – the other search engines had taken hold. Interloc ceased to be and Wetherford began Alibris with financial backing. The largest of the services, ABE, had over 16,000,000 books and over 5,500 dealers when we last checked. Their largest competitor seems to be Amazon.com which owns Bibliofind and is pushing harder to establish its own “zShops” approach, with Alibris making their move to take the lead by investing huge amounts of money in advertising. With the combination of the above dealers, book scouts, and the general public all listing books on the Internet and competing for salespricing differences were amazing. The sheer volume of books that had suddenly become available allowed the public and other dealers to see for the first time books that were being offered from around the world. A new era in book selling had begun. Copies of books that regularly sold in mail order catalogs for $25 to $75 were on the Internet for $7.50 to $50 with supply and demand driving prices. Where the “old-time” bookseller only saw books that were offered in nearby bookstores, book fairs, scouting trips, or other dealers catalogs and priced their stock according to the knowledge they had accumulated, now books could instantly be compared on the Internet by dealers around the world. It was (and still is) a collectors dream. Why then are some of the collectors becoming disenchanted? It is because they were used to the condition of the books they bought from a dealer they knew being described in such a way that they knew what they were getting. They could count on the seller knowing and checking the bibliographic points of the book they were buying. They were also used to being able to return books within ten days of receipt for any reason and getting a refund for books for which they had prepaid. Now this doesnt always happen, now some dealers wont take a book back even if the book isnt as described or isnt the edition it is supposed to be. 99.9% of all the dealers (before the Internet) extended to each other a dealer discount of from 10 to 20%. This has changed.Now, many Internet dealers refuse to honor this tradition. Yet these same dealers do not seem to understand that for many dealers, 80% of their sales are to other dealers and many times the discount is the deciding factor as to whether or not to buy a book. Some dealers give dealer discounts only in their stores but not on the Internet if they do not know the dealer. But, when you are in business for yourself, it is your choice how you run your business. We recommend, however, that your policies be plainly stated so that the customer will not be disappointed (or in some cases, outraged) by finding out your policies later. Your reputation will follow you good or bad. Pricing Books Using the Net If youre trying to price a book and go onto ABE or Bibliofind or one of the many other search engines and search for a particular title and there are a lot of copies listed in both similar condition and edition to the book you have in hand, that book is not scarce in any sense of the word. But, if you find that there are only five copies and one of them is in the UK, one in Australia, one in Canada, one in New York, one in California, and your copy is in better condition, youve got a hard to find book and it should be priced accordingly. Suppose there are no copies of your book on the Internet then you may have a scarce book and you need to do some research before you price it. Check the various reference books you have. Try our Collected Books and our Author Price Guide series, McGraths Bookmans Price Index, Zemples Book Prices: Used and Rare, etc. to see if it is listed in there, check the auction price records, if you dont own them, call your local library and see if they have them and go down and check your book out. Lets say that you find that there are no copies in the book guides, and only one copy of your book has been auctioned in the last 22 years and it sold for $2,000 in 1979. While youre in the auction records, look to see if this same author has other titles that have been auctioned lately so you can see what kind of prices that author brings. Did the auction record show a bibliographic citation or state the number of plates, pages, etc.? If it did, try to track down that bibliography and check the citation, count your plates, collate the pages, compare the binding, etc. Make sure your book has all the points called for in the bibliography. Price guides also have an important place in your research but always remember that they are guides and that some are better than others. Some have issue points, some combine the research the compiler has found in bibliographies along with the points found in other dealers catalogs, and some merely list catalog entries with no other research. All can be helpful. But they are not a substitute for owning detailed bibliographies of the authors in your specialties. There is a growing market in secondary material such as books with introductions or edited by the author; and magazine appearances. The price of the latter will depend a great deal on whether it is the first appearance in print. The easiest, if not the only, place to find this information is in full detailed bibliographies. It is an investment you will never regret. Pat and Allen Ahearn are uniquely well known in the bookselling community to both book dealers and collectors. They have been in the business for nearly forty years and are the proprietors of Quill and Brush in Dickerson, MD. They are the authors of Collected Books A Guide to Values (Putnam 1997) and Book Collecting 2000 (Putnam, 2000) as well as a series of author price guides. Pat is an IOBA board member and Chair of the Education Committee.

First of a projected series on the various bookselling services. We interviewed Cathy Waters, one of the principals of the Advanced Book Exchange and Judy Kam their Director of Marketing at the ABE offices on the second floor of a newish building in a light industrial area of Victoria, British Columbia.  The offices are a buzz of activity and ABE is clearly having difficulty fitting into them. They are not spending their money on lavish quarters. Tell us a little about how ABE got started and the early days. I (Kathy) had my store Timeless Books and I was a customer of Interloc’s. I found that it was very expensive and I wasn’t getting a lot of return on the investment.  We (Keith Waters) were out for dinner one night with the Pura’s and I was lamenting about the time and expense to find customers’  and I told them that they could do it better and cheaper. About five months later Keith was in a boring meeting and designed ABE while the meeting was going on. He sold Rick on it and they worked on development for the next eight months. This was in 1995. They worked on it part time for two months and then took the leap, quit their jobs, worked on it for another 6 months full time and went live on the net in May of 1996. Our first book fair was in Burbank, then Boulder Colorado and then the Children’s Book Fair In Seattle. After that we ran out of travel money and stayed home for the rest of the year. Our first booksellers were five stores here in Victoria – Heather Graham, Renaissance Books, Russell Books, Timeless, and Wells Books. We actually went to their stores and housed to help them get online. We made the decision to have a 1-800 number so our customers could contact us with any problems or suggestions.  We had an office in Rick’s house and an office in our house and the 800 number would ring in Rick’s and if he wasn’t there it would ring in ours and then we set up an office at our ISP and I would work there in the mornings answering the phone and then go out to Timeless. In the first year we had three employees, the second eight the third 26 and today we have 57 and counting. We now have just over 6000 booksellers and eighteen million books listed. About 100 new booksellers sign up every month. What do you use for hardware and software? 1) ABE uses two high-end IBM RS6000s to keep everything running smoothly. 2) One useful feature of the database allows a customer on the site to request a particular item. “We regularly have more than a 1.4 million such requests—we call them ‘wants’— in a 24 hours period and we’re able to match somewhere between a 250,000 and 400,000 of those within a day.” 3) Everything the customer sees now is written in JAVA and the database ism Oracle. What’s been your biggest challenge? The biggest challenge at first was technological limitations and trying to deal with the growth by getting new equipment and hiring employees and figuring out how to expand our business while trying to keep everyone happy and still make a profit. Every change we make stirs up an enormous controversy and flurry of emails but on the whole we have a very loyal customer base.  Whenever we send out a B&N update I’ll get two or three hundred emails. And it continues to be a challenge to keep up with the changes- who knows what the impact of things like ebooks or digital paper will be. What Are your Biggest Challenges Now? In a word – diversification. Looking for new ways to help our booksellers sell more books. An example is the 21NorthMain program where our sellers should be able to reach many more libraries than before and it allows the libraries to buy through an Ecommerce model so that they can buy from many different sellers at a keystroke. We have to continue develop more programs like this.  We try to learn from our mistakes as well  –  after the ABEcommerce introduction we now have both a booksellers and a book buyers advisory group. With all the excitement we had about the introduction we forgot to ask our booksellers what we thought and we won’t do that again. We’re a growing company, we’re human and we make mistakes but we will learn from them.  Booksellers in the US don’t realize how hard it can be in other countries to get merchant accounts for Internet sales. We really tried to develop a system that booksellers worldwide could use to grow their business. The complexities of taxes and shipping across thousands of jurisdictions are enormous. We are an international business operating in Canada and overall that works very well. It does get complicated because we deal in US dollars with Canadian, US and overseas banks. We have to be very alert to what national governments are doing in such areas as Internet taxation.  The US government is working on this now but that still leaves the rest of the world and every jurisdiction will probably deal with it in a different way. We have been a pioneer in this – we now represent the largest volume (transactions, not dollar volume) of private electronic funds transfer in Canada! Speaking of that, there have been complaints about the speed of ABEcommerce transactions. Do you have any comments on this? We know there have been complaints and we’re trying to everthing we can do to speed up the process.  Getting the payments out is a complicated process involving a large number of financial institutions. Very often the bottleneck is , depending on its size, the booksellers’ own banks. What has been the impact on ABE of the Barnes and Noble/Alibris agreement to display the Alibris listings first? We weren’t happy about it but we continue to maintain a very strong` working relationship with Barnes and Noble. A very small number of dealers have left and switched to Alibris because of it. Because of the uploading difficulties currently being experienced by Barnes and Noble it is impossible to determine how much sales have fallen off – we are unable to differentiate between sales decreases caused by the uploading problems and decreases caused by the book records display. Barnes and Noble is rapidly catching up with their backlog and once that happens we will have a much better idea. These uploading problems are at the B&N end and are affecting both ABE and Alibris books. In the meantime we are constantly working to streamline the whole process. And obviously we are continuing to monitor it very closely. What about advertising? – We have heard booksellers complain that ABE is not advertising enough? We’re continuing to expand the advertising program but our budget at this time does not extend to full-page ads in national magazines. We will be advertising more in non-book venues to expand consumer awareness of ABE and to try to get the maximum value for our advertising dollars. What’s the biggest threat phasing ABE today? It’s really always the competition – both the competition we know about and the competition from unexpected sources. Sites are springing up that shop everything – including used books. One of the biggest problems is that consumers don’t know about us and we are working hard to correct that through partnerships, advertising and working to be sure that we maintain our positions on the search engines. We’re expecting substantial improvements in our search engine positioning because of these efforts.  Some of our strongest efforts are going to be based on our existing and new partnerships – that way we can share the resources with our partners and reach far more people. What do you see five years down the line for online bookselling? That’s a really hard question. They say that one year is equal to 10 Internet years. When we first started we thought that maybe we would someday have 2000 booksellers on line. I see us growing much more heavily in the international market and having a much stronger international flavour.    Our ongoing goal is to be the absolute best book site on the web – in every way.  We’re adding a lot more information and articles to the site to make it more useful and informative to the book community and we plan to try out a lot of different ideas to add even more value. The only certainty on the web is constant and sometimes surprising change. #databases

IOBA is set up to be a smooth running and efficient forum and process for receiving member originated ideas and inputs and implementing the necessary legalities and organizational decisions. In theory. Committees receive and conceive of new ideas and needs within their area of authority, work them out into a proposal and sendthem up to the Board, which reviews and can either send the proposal back if we have questions about some of it before we feelcomfortable with taking it for action or if it’s ready to go, discussing it and putting it to a vote and either approving it by the vote or rejecting it. The Board handles administrative burdens, legal compliance issues, annual reports, documentation, over-sight duties and long-range planning. Occasionally, these areas result in something which needs committee input and work, and we generate a tasking or project and pass it down through the Chairman of that committee to get that. Each side of the house, the Board, and the Committees, have enough on their plates to keep them busy. What has happened, and no great secret or mystery here, is that IOBA has been starting up. This has placed a whole lot of one-time researching and legal type duties on the Board to work on, and we haven’t had the time to work on explaining the process of change in the association, the importance of the committees, the critical need for member involvement in the building process. But, this is a vicious circle. Without adequate committee input and support, what happens is that the Board itself spends an awful lot of time doing committee work to support this Chairman’s tasking or that Chairman’s project, and it bogs things down. We have put out calls throughout the past few months for help, and gotten some lifesavers stepping forward from the membership to volunteer. They’ve surfaced, worked a project and then vanished after their research is done. George Williford comes to my mind as I type this, and his work running down details with U-Line, who remains a top-runner as a supplier of mailing materials as Membership finishes up checking out other leads. I expect members will soon see U-Line being offered to them as an option to check out for discounts in future, thanks to George’s early work for us all. George regrettably hasn’t had the time to work with a committee fully, but he took a project and ran with it. He has also always been there as a friendly sounding board for me personally when I needed quick feedback on a thought or idea I was mulling over on my own. Jean McKenna continues to knock my socks off with her work on updating and developing our definitions page from their original rough draft state on the site and she is coming up with a much more useful approach for the association in information and resources for this important area. I think you’ll be impressed when you see the final form of it. These members deserve a hearty pat on the back for doing so much with little guidance and support, and sometimes even less recognition. There are many others hard at work right now, too. The Ethics workgroup is hopping right now and includes some of our most knowledgeable members. Things are changing, shifting gears, for IOBA. You have been the most awesomely supportive and patient bunch of folks I have ever worked with, through these long days of the interim board, which finally was able to wade through and research and learn enough to come up with our form basically and guide IOBA through incorporating last November. Like most of the members, that group began as just bookies, who didn’t know what the job would include but plunged in to learn and try. I’m damned proud of them for that. Now, the first elected full board has been at work for the four months since then, taking things from there and working on the basics, the deadly boring details but which are critical for a solid foundation for a real Trade Association that can last and be taken from the point we leave it and strengthened further. But, as we finish up our work, which has often left the main member list silent for weeks on end, and sometimes surely had you wondering if anyone was home here :o), the focus changes. The Committees rise in critical importance for the association, and MUST be developed and recruit core members who are willing to get in there and learn one part of IOBA-land intimately well. We hope to see a large increase in membership in future. It must have leadership and management in place to join up with and gain by, and the Board is only part of that. Actually a small part, if the committees are developed correctly, and this is our next major internal need and goal. Most businessmen and women don’t have time to offer which is not put to good use they can see and for a purpose they do not see a clear goal and importance for. George is like that, he is super, brilliant, but pressed for time. He was happy to run down and nail down one thing he knew was good for us all to gain and he did it. We have a whole lot of needs like that, narrow areas which need commitment from a few members to get in, learn it well and stick with it so that come next January when new board members get elected there is fundamental continuity and a core of expertise the new board can rely on for the sake of IOBA. The Finance Committee is a big one we need a committed few to get into and learn about the reports and requirements we must put out periodically, the income, the outgo, the budget considerations, the costs, the process, why this option was chosen, why that was not. It takes commitment, but not huge amounts of time daily or even weekly, given a solid core team willing to focus on one critical area for the association. Finance might be a good example but all the committees are the same. Maybe your list has been quiet too long, if you’re on a committee now. Maybe you don’t feel you’re doing anything. Maybe you need to post to it yourself and stir up signs of life. Your Chairman will reply (after getting over the shock in some cases). We’re all just bookies here, gang, not expert asociation managers. We have to learn too. We have to learn who is a builder and can be relied on, to delegate, to communicate more effectively, spot and recruit those who have a talent and willingness for a need we all have. It’s a two-way street. Right now, the Board is working the Annual Report, getting the information to our CPA to start the process of applying for non-profit status from the IRS, and working with the attorney we’re hoping to appoint as IOBA’s General Counsel formally when we work out some details we’re checking on now. Most anything else I could say we’re working on (and it’s a lot I could say) is actually committee work, and should be there, and would be there, if we can develop that from among the membership. So, please, if you wish you knew more about what the heck is going on, come on in to your own association. If you wonder how in the world we came up with the new dues, get into the Finance Committee and work on the process towards next year. IOBA will ultimately only be for you what you make of it. Your Boardmembers feel that when the day comes we have little but routine boring stuff to rubber stamp in meetings and little else to do, because the comittees and members are running full tilt for the goals we all share, we’ll have done our job and it’s a good day for bookies everywhere. What do you want IOBA to be? What do you want IOBA to offer you? Come on and make it happen. You’re “it”. Membership Committee We’re still in the midst of a lot of our projects, but are very close to getting some of them finalized. 1) Health Insurance: We’re hopefully going to be signing a contract next month with a company that supplies insurance to ABA and other large groups (although we are doing some last minute investigating of another possibility, just to make sure we get the best deal possible). If this goes through okay, we will have a page on their site for our members to sign up, get questions answered, etc. It has been a real search trying to find a company/agency where we can have members in all 50 states covered. The health insurance business was deregulated which means that coverage and premiums for non-employer/employee plans are different in each state and, also, that most companies do not offer insurance in all 50 states. This company works with about 40 companies to make it possible. It will be a branded” IOBA insurance plan, with all types of coverage available (catastrophic, medicare supplemental, long term disability, etc.). Were in the process of having the coverage reviewed now. 2) Inventory Insurance: We are working with two companies on this: Collectors Insurance Co. and the company we’re talking to about health insurance. We’ll go with whichever proves to be the best coverage for the money. Should be finalized in April. 3) Credit Card Server for Members: This is still on the backburner but Novus seems to be the best. With PayPal and X.com, the need has lessened, but it is still something we are exploring and will work on in April. 4) Discounts For Supplies: We’re researching several online office supply companies to see if we can get cheaper prices than each of us can obtain locally. 5) Travel Discounts: Still on the backburner, as a low priority item. We are talking to National and Alamo, however. 6) Publisher’s Weekly Discount: We’ve arranged a $119 price for this (discounted from $189). Further discounts will depend on the number of IOBA subscriptions. 7) Book Boxes: We’re talking to Uline now, who has offered us substantial discounts (25-40%), plus mailing costs would not be so great as they have several warehouses scattered around the country. Should be finalized in April. We may still want to explore the company Alyce has talked to about an “ideal” specially manufactured book box depending on if we can order enough to get the cost down (or the possibility of several of us splitting a Post Office order of their #1 priority boxes). 8) Membership qualifications, categories, and the application have been redefined, and are on the IOBA site now. Also founder/charter terminology clarified. 9) We’ve recommended a dues increase to the Board, based on expected expenses in the next year and few months, and based on what benefits and services IOBA will soon be offering members. 10) Some committee members are working on suggested changes to our grading and description definitions. Should be ready for review in April. 11) We’re working on what to include in new member packets, to help newcomers feel welcome and acclimate quickly. 12) We’ll soon be putting a page on the site with offers of discounts from various vendors. Shirley Bryant – Membership Chair By-Laws Committee Some amendments under consideration by the board, addressing issues such as: 1) membership referendum 2) options for board decision-making via methods other than in-contact meetings (e.g., unanimous email votes substantiated with written documentation filed by the Association’s Secretary) 3) provision for advisory positions to the board (specifically, a non-contract legal advisor) Vic Zoschak –  Bylaws Chair Finance Committee Report Finance has been busy with the budget and initial start up procedures. Our treasurer has done an outstanding job of foreseeing the future revenues, Thank you, Julie Fauble! After much debate and discussion the board approved the new dues structure. Our initial start up dues have brought us to the point of offering the search engine for IOBA members, now we ask all of you to help us make this a successful program through our increase in dues. For the level of benefits and developing programs you will be receiving we feel this is a fair increase. This is a very exciting time and Finance will be responsible for the financial health of our association. Finance will present our expenditures and revenues to the IOBA website on a quarterly basis. We will see how our budget projections will develop and will have a model to follow by the end of the year. The Finance Committee will be investigating ways to invest IOBA’s reserve funds (should we have some) to equal six months worth of operating expenses. We need to have the funds available for a cushion to protect unforeseen expenses and/or to develop new programs or services. Finance will be an instrumental part of advertising, membership drives and fund raising. We will be presenting our recommendations on funding to the board and will be responsible for required financial reports. If you are interested in helping the Finance Committee please send your request to: ioba_finance-subscribe@egroups.com. Julie and I will look forward to adding your ideas and feedback. See you in cyber Finance land! Sally Hollingsworth – Finance Chair Education Committee Report Planned are a continuing series of articles by various members sharing information in many subject areas. These articles will appear in the IOBA Standard. Anyone with expertise in particular areas is most cordially invited to submit articles to the Education Committee. Your articles will be very welcome. Pat Ahearn  firsts@qb.com Education Chair Internet Operations Committee Report The Internet Operations committee is in charge of all of IOBA’s technology. We maintain the website, the mailing lists and now the server since we’ve gone to a dedicated server. We have several projects in the works right now: Derek L. of Interim Books has been developing a very nice little webring system. This should be operational shortly. If you don’t know what a webring is, it’s a system of links that allows surfers to move from site to site through the ring. If they follow the ring far enough, they will come back to the first site they visited… thus a “ring”. The ring is centrally controlled from the IOBA website, so that only members will be able to participate. Luke Lozier has promised to begin work on the members database which will replace the member page (which has gotten much too long, and consequently slow to load). The database will allow searches of the membership for name, location, specialty etc. A trademark symbol has been added to all of the graphics on the website. This is to protect our logo. Those of you who have added a linkon your website to the IOBA should replace the graphic with a fresh version. These are available to members at http://www.ioba.org/logotest.html Those of you who are not on the search engine yet, or who would prefer to have your inventory searched at a different location should send requests to Lera Lamme novlshop@totalaccess.net. Please use “IOBASearch” in the subject line so she can filter the messages properly. She will be organizing these requests so that I can add them to the engine in an orderly way. Each addition takes an average of about an hour for me to process if done individually, so this is a necessary step to streamline the process. We are sorely in need of a volunteer who is comfortable with html, and can do some of the website maintenance chores. If any of you would like to take this on, please let me know. Deanna Ramsay deanna@ramsaybooks.com Internet Operations Chair