Free Expression

Following criticism of author Stephen Jimenez’s The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths About the Murder of Matthew Shepard (Steerforth Press), several bookstores hosted the author at events that led to a civil dialogue on a controversial issue.

The Kids’ Right to Read Project is urging district officials in Alamogordo, New Mexico, to reconsider the removal of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere from high school English classrooms and lessons. 

ABFFE is defending bookstores that have scheduled appearances by Stephen Jimenez, author of The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths About the Murder of Matthew Shepard (Steerforth Press). The book has been criticized for questioning aspects of a case that has come to symbolize hate crimes against gay men and women.

Conversations about censorship and First Amendment rights filled indie bookstores across the country during last week’s celebration of the 31st annual Banned Books Week.

Bill to limit Amazon’s advantage moves forward in France; Reading Group Choices’ 2014 guide out now; National survey details reading habits; NRF predicts modest growth during holidays; Consumers use smartphones, tablets to shop; California Bookstore Day website live; NCAC in New York Times Sunday Dialogue; Thurber Prize goes to Dan Zevin; Penguin Random House merges audio; HarperCollins joins Scribd’s e-book subscription service; Chronicle Books goes green; BISG announces new mission statement, industry award winners, F+W Media partnership

ABFFE and Pen American Center host Paradise Banned; Writers receive MacArthur fellowships; PayPal offers small business loans; Georgetown’s Harborwalk Books destroyed by fire; Anti-tax groups support Amazon’s appeal to Supreme Court 

Banned Books Week (September 22 – 28) will again feature readers demonstrating their support for free speech in a Virtual Read-Out of banned and challenged books. This year, the Read-Out will serve as the backdrop for the announcement of Banned Books Week Heroes.

National Book Foundation to honor E.L. Doctorow, Maya Angelou; Judy Blume to receive NAIBA’s Legacy and Carla Cohen Free Speech awards; Hugo Award winners announced; Amazon begins collecting sales tax in Georgia and Virginia

Though “Banned Books Week in a Box” promotional kits are all gone, booksellers can still take advantage of Ingram’s additional discount on a list of 200 banned or challenged books. ABFFE is also offering a promotional kit, including bookmarks, buttons, bumper stickers, and more, for $25 plus free shipping.

ABFFE and Ingram have provided ordering instructions for Banned Books Week in a Box, a promotion that makes it as simple as possible for stores to participate in Banned Books Week, this September 22 – 28.

A new addition to the array of resources available to stores celebrating Banned Books Week (September 22 - 28) is a banned books list compiled by ABFFE that highlights a greater number of recent titles in addition to classics.

A consequence of Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations is that a real battle is brewing to restore the privacy rights taken away by Section 215 of the Patriot Act, writes ABFFE President Chris Finan.

In an effort to make it easy for booksellers to celebrate Banned Books Week –– which takes place from September 22–28 this year –– the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) today announced a collaboration with Ingram Content Group.

On Monday, members of the Media Coalition filed an amicus brief asking that the United States Supreme Court review a decision of the New York Court of Appeals that upheld a content-based tax on communication protected by the First Amendment.

The Campaign for Reader Privacy is urging its supporters to immediately call members of Congress to request support for the Amash amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill, which will be voted on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week. The amendent would bar the NSA from obtaining the telephone records of people who are not suspected of engaging in illegal acts.