ABA president Gayle Shanks writes to booksellers to announce a 50 percent reduction in dues for member stores on their calendar 2009 renewals “to help and support booksellers in these extraordinarily difficult economic times.” A hiring freeze for the organization’s staff has resulted in a 12 percent reduction through attrition. Other cost-cutting measures include a wage freeze and suspension of pension contributions, as the ABA aims to juggle “how to provide more services while relying less on financial support from booksellers.”Shanks letter