ABA’s Recent Ends Policies History

The ABA Board reviews the association’s ends policies, or desired outcomes for ABA’s work, on an annual basis. The next review is scheduled for July 2022. The ends policies discussions are informed by conversations throughout the year at regional town halls and annual meetings, ABA town halls, ABA Board office hours, and feedback from members shared with ABA staff (annual membership survey, ShopTalks, affinity group forums, regional executive director meetings, regional member meetings, Bookseller Advisory Council, ABC Children’s Group, Diversity, Equity, and inclusion Council, and conversations with members).

Below is the recent history of ends policies changes: 

FY 2011 as of June 2011
Ends Policies D
Member bookstores will be heard on legal and regulatory issues, including First Amendment, free expression, and fair trade practices.

FY 2014 as of July 2014
Ends Policies D
Member bookstores will be heard on advocacy issues pertinent to the bookselling trade. Member stores will be heard on legal and regulatory issues, including First Amendment, free expression, fair trade practices, and related issues.

FY 2020 as of October 2019
Ends Policies 2.3
Legal and regulatory policy will reflect the interests of independent bookstores, including free expression and fair-trade practices. 
(“First Amendment” was removed from the ends policies. The minutes say only that a board committee reviewed the ends policies and suggested new language which the board modified slightly before approving.) 

FY 2021 as of January 2021
Ends Policies 4.0 
Legal and regulatory policies reflect the interests of independent bookstores in such areas as antitrust action, small business assistance, and the First Amendment right to disseminate information as it relates to the bookselling industry. 
(“First Amendment” was added back to the ends policies language in January 2021 to help focus ABFE's work and offer ABA staff clarity about the desired outcome for ABA’s work.)

FY 2022 as of October 2021
Ends Policies 1(a)
Core members have the resources in support of their right to freedom of expression.

Ends Policies 4.0
Legal and regulatory policies reflect the interests of independent bookstores in such areas as antitrust action and small business assistance. 
“First Amendment” was removed when it failed to accomplish the intended goal of the previous ends policy change and positioned ABA to protect speech which was at odds with ABA's values and commitment to equity and the future of the industry. The Board discussed how to create ends policies that would best support all members’ needs while also supporting ABA’s work around freedom of expression.