Independent Online Booksellers Association
Encyclopedia
Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) is a trade association of independent used and rare booksellers who sell online.
bookselling
and foster the interests of internet booksellers. On August 22, 2002, IOBA was incorporated
in the state of Delaware
as a non-profit organization
.
Its members sell books through a variety of venues, including brick and mortar stores, their own website
s, book fairs, and online bookselling services, but all members have some or all of their stock available online.
To join, an applicant must have prior online bookselling experience, a minimum number of books listed, a valid business license as required by their place of residence, and book descriptions and condition statements presented in terms generally recognized by the bookselling profession. In addition, the applicant must agree to abide by IOBA's Code of Ethics, which spells out minimum professional standards and return policies.
Applicants who do not meet membership requirements may be eligible for the IOBA Mentorship Program, which matches a professional member with the applicant for one-on-one assistance in developing the applicant's business to meet IOBA standards.
, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer
. The six At-Large Representatives each serve a three-year term with staggered election dates so that two are elected each year.
Several standing committees further the work of IOBA: Membership, Bylaws, Finance, Internet Operations, and Public Relations. The Chairs of these committees are appointed by the President, and are ex-officio, non-voting board members.
The other scholarship could be used at CABS, the Rare Book School
(RBS), or the California Rare Book School (CalRBS).
IOBA erratically publishes an online magazine called The Standard, with articles pertinent to the bookselling trade and to collectors. It is primarily written by the membership to share their experiences and expertise, but it is available to the general public.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts and allied materials.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada is the premier organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada founded with the goal of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea, the national antiquarian book association of Korea, was founded in 1989 and joined the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers in 1990 during the Tokyo Congress, thus becoming its 18th member.
Association of Booksellers for Children The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) is a non-profit 501(c)6 Trade Association governed by a Board of Directors, with a membership that includes Bookstore, Booksellers, Publishers, Authors & Illustrators, and many other industry professionals.
History
IOBA was founded in 1999 by a group of independent booksellers to address the special opportunities and challenges of the emerging online book selling market. Its purpose is to promote internetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
bookselling
Bookselling
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers or bookmen.-Bookstores today:...
and foster the interests of internet booksellers. On August 22, 2002, IOBA was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in the state of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
as a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
.
Membership
IOBA has over 300 members internationally.Its members sell books through a variety of venues, including brick and mortar stores, their own website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s, book fairs, and online bookselling services, but all members have some or all of their stock available online.
To join, an applicant must have prior online bookselling experience, a minimum number of books listed, a valid business license as required by their place of residence, and book descriptions and condition statements presented in terms generally recognized by the bookselling profession. In addition, the applicant must agree to abide by IOBA's Code of Ethics, which spells out minimum professional standards and return policies.
Applicants who do not meet membership requirements may be eligible for the IOBA Mentorship Program, which matches a professional member with the applicant for one-on-one assistance in developing the applicant's business to meet IOBA standards.
Governance
IOBA operates under a set of bylaws and is governed by a board of directors elected by the membership. The Board of Directors consists of a four-person Executive Committee and six At-Large Representatives. The Executive Committee is composed of the officers, who are each elected for a one-year term: PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, Vice-President, Secretary
Secretary (club)
Secretary is a title commonly held by a member of an organization, club, or society. Common duties of the Secretary include taking minutes, notifying members of meetings, contacting various persons in relation to the society, administrating the day to day activities of the organization and...
and Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
. The six At-Large Representatives each serve a three-year term with staggered election dates so that two are elected each year.
Several standing committees further the work of IOBA: Membership, Bylaws, Finance, Internet Operations, and Public Relations. The Chairs of these committees are appointed by the President, and are ex-officio, non-voting board members.
Mission
All IOBA initiatives and programs are closely tied to its mission statement, which states:- The Independent Online Booksellers Association is dedicated to promoting independent online bookselling by:
-
- Maintaining and enforcing high professional standards among our international membership, backed up by a strong Code of Ethics.
- Furthering bookseller professional development through the establishment of a Mentorship Program, the granting of scholarships, the publication of our online journal the IOBA Standard, and other formal and informal support systems and educational initiatives.
- Promoting trust between customers and booksellers by providing a safe online environment for the sale and purchase of books.
- Fostering consumer awareness of online book buying.
- Interacting with businesses, organizations, and governmental entities that have an impact on online bookselling.
- Providing programs and services that will help member booksellers to strengthen their businesses.
Professional Standards
The IOBA provides a number of resources to booksellers and the general public that promote professionalism and transparency in book descriptions and the selling process. These include a Code of Ethics to which members are required to adhere, guidelines for book condition descriptions, definitions of book-related terms and abbreviations, and an annotated list of reference works useful to booksellers and book buyers.Professional Development
IOBA strongly endorses continued professional education for booksellers, and offers an annual scholarship contest. The 2010 contest offered two full-tuition scholarships with a stipend for travel expenses. One of these scholarships was reserved for the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS).The other scholarship could be used at CABS, the Rare Book School
Rare Book School
Rare Book School is an independent non-profit organization based at the University of Virginia supporting the study of the history of books, manuscripts, and related objects. Each year, RBS offers about 30 five-day courses on these subjects...
(RBS), or the California Rare Book School (CalRBS).
IOBA erratically publishes an online magazine called The Standard, with articles pertinent to the bookselling trade and to collectors. It is primarily written by the membership to share their experiences and expertise, but it is available to the general public.
Customer Trust
In addition to its publicly available Code of Ethics and reference materials that increase the transparency of the book buying transaction, IOBA seeks to reassure customers with a Book Buyer's Bill of Rights that guarantees accurate descriptions, swift and reasonable shipping, and a satisfaction guaranteed return policy.Related Organizations
IOBA monitors organizations that have an impact on online bookselling and sends alerts to its own members, or writes letters on behalf of the IOBA membership. For example, in December 2009, IOBA issued a warning advisory to members about changing description standards on Half.com that could jeopardize a sellers Half.com and eBay accounts. In early 2010, IOBA sent an official letter to authorities in the United Kingdom (including the UK's OFT), France, Germany and the European Union, protesting at Amazon "Price Parity Policy" labeling it "dangerously anti‐competitive".Programs and Services
IOBA offers a number of programs and services to its members, including:- Member to member discounts
- Vendor discounts
- Three members-only mailing lists, one for Discussion, one for Wanted to Buy or For Sale books, and one for announcements
- A commission-free bookselling venue, IOBAbooks.com, hosted through Biblio.comBiblio.comBiblio.com is the third largest used book marketplaces in the US. Established in 2003 in Asheville, NC, Biblio.com has grown to become one of the largest global book marketplaces, with over 50 million books for sale from over 5,000 booksellers in countries around the world.-A used book...
and aggregated into Marelibri
- Scholarships to the Colorado Antiquarian Book SeminarColorado antiquarian book seminarThe Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar, founded in the late 1970s, provides training for dealers in out-of-print, used, and antiquarian books.-Origins:...
and Rare Book SchoolsRare Book SchoolRare Book School is an independent non-profit organization based at the University of Virginia supporting the study of the history of books, manuscripts, and related objects. Each year, RBS offers about 30 five-day courses on these subjects...
External links
- California Rare Book School home page
- Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar home page
- IOBABooks home page
- Rare Book School home page
Other Bookseller Organizations
- American Booksellers Association A national trade association for independent booksellers — since 1900. ABA offers education, services and products, advocacy, and relevant business information.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association
Antiquarian Booksellers Association
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts and allied materials.-History:It was founded in 1906 and is the oldest organization of its kind in the world...
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts and allied materials.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of Canada is the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers’ affiliated organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada...
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Canada is the premier organization of professional antiquarian booksellers in Canada founded with the goal of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade.
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea , the national antiquarian book association of Korea, was founded in 1989 and joined the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers in 1990 during the Tokyo Congress, thus becoming its 18th member....
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Korea, the national antiquarian book association of Korea, was founded in 1989 and joined the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers in 1990 during the Tokyo Congress, thus becoming its 18th member.
- Association of Bookseller and Publisher Training Organizations in Europe This Association’s primary purpose is to enhance and improve the training for professional publishers and booksellers throughout Europe.
Association of Booksellers for Children The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) is a non-profit 501(c)6 Trade Association governed by a Board of Directors, with a membership that includes Bookstore, Booksellers, Publishers, Authors & Illustrators, and many other industry professionals.
- Christian Booksellers Association CBA is the trade association for the Christian Retail Channel, serving the interests and meeting the needs of thousands of member Christian retailers, publishers, music labels, and gift distributors.
- Danish Antiquarian Booksellers Association The Danish Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association is an association for professional antiquarian booksellers with thorough knowledge of antiquarian books and more than three years of full-time employment within the trade.
- International League of Antiquarian Booksellers The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is a global network for the rare book trade offering items from the invention of printing up to the 21st century, in all fields of interest, in all specializations.
- Pan African Booksellers Association PABA's aims include improving access to books throughout Africa by encouraging and assisting national booksellers organizations in their representations to their governments on matters of policy affecting the book trade.
- New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association NAIBA is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information among independently owned bookstores; educating booksellers in techniques essential to the effective conduct of their business; increasing public awareness of the value of the bookseller as a vital community resource; promoting excellence and professionalism in the retail book industry.
- Iranian Booksellers in Persian language: فروشگاه کتاب جهت خرید کتاب به زبان فارسی
- Northern California Independent Booksellers Association The Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) is a trade organization dedicated to supporting, nurturing and promoting independent retail bookselling in California.