Five years!

It seems like yesterday, and then I realize how far we have come since we first launched on August 27, 1996. A few days ago I came across the drawings for our original site (pencil sketches on large sheets of Kraft paper that we drew on the train as we returned to New York from AOL) and a three-ring binder of pre-launch correspondence between my partners and me. Looking back, we were pretty naive about what we were getting into --- but I guess we were not much different from everyone leaping onto the web at the time.

Before we launched, Jesse Kornbluth, Murray Bruce and I (the TBR founders) used to meet in chic places like the lobby of the Royalton Hotel, where we set up laptops, cellphones and notebooks. We never actually had a meal in the hotel's chic restaurant -- as we had no expense accounts, we left at lunchtime and hit the local burger places. But Murray still thinks those were the best days, perhaps because we were so stoked by hopes and dreams.

Murray left the troika shortly after launch; Jesse moved on the following May. Jesse and I still IM a couple of times a day and talk a few times a week. I have no more ardent supporter than him, and I have to tell you that there is no better fan in the world. He taught me how to write and how to edit, but more than that, he encouraged me to think out of the box and just try to make things happen. The vision we etched out years ago is still the mantra that I follow today --- TBR as a place for READERS. Not reviewers. Not writers. But REAL READERS. That vision has been vivid from day one.

Taped to the wall next to my computer monitor is a screen shot of our first AOL site. It's inspiration. If we never had done that first site, we never would have the Network that we have today. Whenever I doubt whether to plunge ahead, I look at that and just keep going.

Some of you joined us when we were The Book Report on AOL, before there was Bookreporter.com, or The Book Report Network, a group of websites that now includes ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, Teenreads.com, Kidsreads.com and a website that we will launch this fall, AuthorYellowPages.com, a searchable online directory of author websites. (Whew!) Others of you found us later. To one and all, our deepest gratitude for joining our community.

Talking to the present and former staff these past few weeks as we've been preparing this anniversary edition, I have been reminded again and again what makes TBRN special. It's the people, the passion and the love of reading. The combination is unbeatable.

Over the past few years I have been lucky to work with incredible people. Some have spent just a few moments with us; others the greater portion of the last five years. Each has made a lasting imprint. I want to take a moment to thank a few of them, apologizing in advance to many I know I will overlook.

First there is the NY staff --- Shannon, Sarah, Jennifer, Sunil, Joan and Nazimul. To you, endless thanks for believing in my goals and making them reality. Watching you gives me energy.

There are remote staffers --- among them Marlene Taylor and Gena Bland, who have been with us for five years. Thanks for always seeing the challenges I bring to you as "minor obstacles" and making it all happen, week after week. Then there's Ann Bruns, who is always an IM away with the answer to anything from a grammar question to "can you please write me a promo...and it was due 10 minutes ago." Her job title has something like "Etc Etc Etc" in it. Thanks to Anita Bunn, who edits every piece of copy each week; she's a wizard at catching dangling participles and split infinitives and just generally polishing up the prose. Bob Fink, who we call "our trusted mailman," handles the mail for everything from our general mailbox to the Question of the Week and Word of Mouth.

What I wish for: clones of these people!

Then there are our reviewers and writers...the list is too long to mention. You know their names from reading their words each week. I thank them for what they do, and will take a moment to cite Joe and Jana for writing reviews and interview questions on deadlines that others might find daunting.

On AOL we have a terrific staff in Bookaccino, our chat room. By the way, if you are wondering how the chat room got its name....I wanted to bring on Starbucks as a sponsor and thought that Bookaccino would be a great name for a coffee drink. (As I said, we were naive.) Somehow the name did click; every day AOL members log on to talk in "cino" at AOL Keyword: Bookaccino. In this room we have fostered one marriage, a few lasting relationships and an ongoing education about the books that readers love. To our chat staff, thanks for keeping the conversation going for five years!

Equally I have met a wonderful group of readers. Some of them post on Word of Mouth, or regularly answer the Question of the Week. Still others write great mail to share the books that they are reading, or feedback on what we are doing. Thank you for your words that make my screen a lot of fun to read.

We are lucky to have great business folks behind the scenes. They include our  lawyers, accountants and financial advisors. Jerry, Helen, Larry, Carolyn, Rosemarie, Bud and Jimmy ---  thank you for making this part of the job a lot more fun and for believing in me these past five years.

To every publisher who sends us books, and everyone at AOL and Netscape who helps us promote what we do every day, thank you.

Anniversaries are for remembering where you are and what you have become. I am proud of who we are. My only wish? That, next year, there will be some new things to celebrate.

As one of our first editors used to sign her notes --- "thanks for reading." Now keep reading and enjoy this very special celebration.

With appreciation,
Carol Fitzgerald

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