Despite the odds—the growth of e-books, rising rent, and online discounting—bookstores continue to open and succeed. Speaking at the American Booksellers Association Forum in Medford, Mass., last month, ABA CEO Oren Teicher affirmed that membership in the organization has “stabilized,” and the number of bookstores is up slightly. PW contacted new bookseller/owners who have joined ABA over the past 18 months. Many are filling a void created by the collapse of Borders. Rebecca Glenn and Pete Ledesma, owners of the Book Frog, both worked for Borders stores. Some like Jennifer Cook, owner of Little Joe’s Books, are dipping their toes into the business for the first time and others have previously owned bookstores. A key for all, though, seems to be to think small, 400 to 2,700 sq. ft.

Max Sound Corp., a provider of high-definition audio solutions, is preparing to launch the MAXD Store, an online audiobook marketplace.

Bookmasters is making its distribution clients’ more than 50,000 POD titles available through the EBM “digital-to-print at retail” sales channel.

As part of a two-year partnership, McGraw-Hill Education is making its e-books available to students at the University of Minnesota at a discounted rate.

Paper stores were originally news agents selling newspapers, magazines, and cigars. But no more, at least for the Paper Store, headquartered in Acton, Mass. Ever since Bob Anderson, fresh out of college, purchased the original 700 sq. ft. Paper Store in Maynard, Mass., in 1964, he has tinkered with size, format, and product mix to turn it into one of the largest regional chains—and one of the fastest growing retailers—in New England. The company now has more than 1,000 employees and continues to hire as it expands.

According to the newest figures from Bowker Market Research, online retailers accounted for 39% of all book sales in 2011, up from 30% in 2010. The increase gave the online channel, led by Amazon and BN.com, a commanding lead over bookstore chains as the largest outlet for sales. The chains, weakened by the loss of Borders in the year, accounted for only 26% of sales, down from 29% in 2010. Data from Bowker, and other sources, suggest that the gains posted by the e-tailers are being driven mostly by e-book sales. Furthermore, the online channel, much like its bricks-and-mortar competitors, is seeing, if not a decline in print book sales, at least slowing growth.

Washington, D.C.’s Politics & Prose is offering overseas tours with curated reading lists and book discussions to Ireland, France, India, and Israel.

Books-A-Million’s board of directors has formed a two-person special committee to examine the proposal made by the Anderson family last week to acquire all the outstanding shares of the book retailer for $3.05 per share. The announcement comes as the offer comes under attack as undervalued from a number of different quarters.

Ingram Content Group has launched a new and comprehensively redesigned version of iPage, its online search, order, and account management site.

Monsoon Commerce, which facilitates the sale of used and new products through its online marketplace, reported a 73% increase in first quarter merchant sales of general merchandise. Sales of media products, including books, rose 9% in the period.