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College Store Programming 
Los Angeles, CA May 29, 2008
12:30-1:45 p.m.
College Store Literary Luncheon (Sponsored by NACSCORP)
We invite you to have lunch with your college store colleagues...and listen to some favorite authors at the same time! RSVP by contacting Cindy Thompson (
cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.
Diana Spechler
Author of Who By Fire (HarperCollins)
"[T]here are no defining moments, no cast list stuck to a family's refrigerator door with an alphabet magnet. It's every single thing that happens to a family, the combination of experiences, that determines how they treat each other." — from Who By Fire
Told from the alternating points of view of the three family members, Who By Fire is a searing commentary on guilt, grief, and the inescapable bonds of family from a fresh and extremely talented new voice in American fiction.
"Diana Spechler evokes, with great humor and compassion, one family's struggle to escape a past scarred by loss, lies, and guilt. Impossible to put down, Who By Fire is a remarkable tale about fear and forgiveness and the bonds that hold a family together even as its members are falling apart. It's a beautiful novel."
Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
Authors of Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes (Penguin)
Here's a lively, hilarious, not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical traditions, schools, concepts, and thinkers. It's Philosophy 101 for everyone who knows not to take all this heavy stuff too seriously. Some of the Big Ideas are Existentialism (what do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?), Philosophy of Language (how to express what it's like being stranded on a desert island with Halle Berry), Feminist Philosophy (why, in the end, a man is always a man), and much more. Finally—it all makes sense!
"I laughed, I learned, I loved it!"
2:00-5:00 p.m.
The 4% Challenge: Strategies to Increase our General Book Sales (Sponsored by the NACS Foundation)
Join us to find out what's working in the fight against declining book sales on college campuses! The NACS General Book Committee has issued a challenge to other college stores to increase general book sales by 4% next year. This session is geared toward meeting this challenge...we want you to join us in the fight!
This afternoon of give and take will allow you to hear about the multi-faceted new program NACS is developing to tap the power of sharing among stores. Discussion topics will include ideas to help punch up your sales, such as:
- Profitable bargain book programs
- A new twist on "special orders"
- New categories, products, and services
- Cross merchandising
- Off-site sales
- Promotions and event planning
- And much more!
We invite you to come to this session with a program, idea, marketing scheme, or event that worked well for your store. Whether your idea is big or small, come and brainstorm with us on making our stores more profitable and more valuable as resources in our campus communities. Events are offered at no charge to NACS store members. If you have additional ideas to suggest, or need more information, contact Cindy Thompson (cthompson@nacs.org) at the National Association of College Stores.
