In a sign of the times the American Booksellers Association (ABA) is closing its office in White Plains, New York and opting to become a permanently remote organisation. It will not renew its lease when it expires on 29 February.
The body said the closure will improve the bodys carbon footprint, save money and enable it to employ a more geographically diverse staff. The change will have no impact on current staff. The ABAs CEO Alison Hill explained: The ABA has been operating the same for four years now and the office closing doesn’t change the way we’ve been working. We work remotely. We meet with publishers on the phone, on Zoom, and in person.
The ABA has maintained an office in the New York City area since its formation in 1900, with its first offices in Manhattan before it moved slightly north to Westchester County, where it has moved locations a number of times. The organisation is now in discussion with a university about taking possession of its archives which tell part of the story of US bookselling and publishing.
