Bookstores Create Posters to Celebrate Inclusion in IBF Calendar

To celebrate their inclusion in the International Booksellers Federation's (IBF) much-anticipated 2007 "50 Unique Bookshops" Calendar, both the University Book Store in Mill Creek, Washington, and Titcomb's Book Shop in East Sandwich, Massachusetts, created posters featuring their own and the other winning bookstores. The IBF, a non-governmental organization of booksellers associations and booksellers from around the world, created the calendar of unique bookstores in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Liza Donovan Graphic Designer at University Bookstore in Mill Creek Washington said the bookstore produced the poster to "let our customers know that we'd won this unique award." It highlights the University Bookstore while also showcasing the other eight winning independent U.S. bookstores. The poster states, "We were named by the International Booksellers Federation as one of the '50 Unique Bookstores' from around the world!"

University Bookstore CEO Bryan Pearce said that the posters are visible at all eight University Bookstores throughout the Puget Sound area. "It's just another way to recognize independent bookstores and to note that we're recognized not only locally, but nationally and even internationally," he said. "Mill Creek is a new store, so this recognition worked well with our overall branding campaign. It increased curiosity and drove traffic to the store."

Vicky Uminowicz at Titcomb's Book Shop had seen a photo of the Mill Creek store's IBF poster and was inspired to create something similar. Uminowicz's sister, Nancy Ockers, designed Titcomb's version. "The credit for the idea goes to the Mill Creek bookstore," Uminowicz said. Titcomb's poster also includes photos of all the winning stores.

Donovan was pleased to hear that another bookstore had created its own poster. "I think everybody should do that," she said.

"I'm very excited to be a part of the [IBF calendar]," Uminowicz noted. "The bookstore was built by my brothers. It's a family business. We feel honored to be in the company of the other bookstores. We really do."

The calendar, which will debut at the IBF gala at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 5, includes photos of nine U.S. bookstores: A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin; City Lights Booksellers and Publishers in San Francisco; Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts; McLean & Eakin, Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan; Snowbound Books in Marquette, Michigan; The Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, New York; Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver; Titcomb's Book Shop in East Sandwich, Massachusetts; and University Book Store in Mill Creek, Washington.

The calendar features five UNESCO languages: Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. The calendar in PDF format and ordering information for all products are available on the IBF's website.

Questions may be directed to IBF via e-mail at info.eurobooks@skynet.be. --Karen Schechner