<p>I am pleased to see that the Booksellers Association is at last creeping towards being more overtly supportive of independent booksellers by harnassing the services of the US IndieBound website (<a href="../../news/103517-booksellers-association-to-import-us-indiebound-initiative-to-uk-.html">theBookseller.com 22nd November</a>).</p>
<p>Although the detail is lacking at the moment, let's hope it will mean, finally, that some bite is evident in the BA's support of specialist terrestrial bookselling outlets, against a backdrop of deeply troubled chains.</p>
<p>Now is the last opportunity for the BA to act for specialist booksellers and become politicised.&nbsp; If the media reports are accurate WHS will be the only serious fighter in the ring by the start of 2011, and with retail analysts now saying that chains need a mere 150 stores plus a website to achieve national coverage, there is ample opportunity for good independents to succeed in martket towns overlooked by the chains - if only they can rely on trade support to realise their potential.</p>
<p>This year&nbsp; I have moved to bigger premises and am trialling my own book tokens with customers, so dismayed am I at the disinterested stance of the BA amid the evident decline of specialist outlets.</p>
<p>If, by the end of 2010 nothing much has changed, I for one, will not be renewing my BA membership, but going it alone.</p>