Independent Online Booksellers Association was founded in 1999 by a group of concerned online booksellers. When the internet began to take on a life of its own around this time, and several pioneer used/out-of-print/antiquarian book search services opened their electronic doors for business, the booksellers who were really their partners in this new venture were thrilled with the results, as were our customers. Even at this early date, however, it became obvious that we needed to reconcile the wonderful efficiency and relative anonymity of online selling with the importance of maintaining traditional values. Forming a trade association gave us an opportunity to address the key issues of establishing trust between bookseller and book buyer, helping to train future generations of new booksellers, advocating for our members, and acting as a clearinghouse for information.