Free Expression

The June 6 Children’s Art Auction at BEA will provide added excitement this year when live bidding opens on several rare items.  An online preview of more than 70 mostly silent auction items is now live.

ABFFE is urging booksellers to participate in the 30^th annual celebration of Banned Books Week, from September 30 to October 6. This year’s plans include an Internet read-out, a speaker program for bookstores interested in hosting an event about censorship, and more.

Tickets are on sale now for one of the marquee events at BookExpo America — the Children’s Art Auction and Reception, sponsored by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA.

Contributions of all forms of original artwork, from a sketch on paper to finished work in any medium, are wanted for the Annual Children’s Art Auction and Reception at BEA to benefit ABFFE and the Kids’ Right to Read Project.

Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, who has confronted numerous challenges to his books for young people, will help raise funds to support the free speech rights of kids by serving as the honorary chair of the Annual Children’s Art Auction and Reception at BookExpo America.

On Tuesday, PayPal retracted its threat to close the accounts of online booksellers that sell works including descriptions of rape, incest, and bestiality.

ABFFE has joined the National Coalition Against Censorship  in protesting a threat by the online payment processor PayPal to close the accounts of online booksellers selling erotic works.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression joined with other members of the Media Coalition in urging the Supreme Court to hold that a federal law making it a crime to lie about having received a military medal violates the First Amendment.

Dozens of national organizations and several ABA member booksellers have joined together to protest the banning of books used for the Mexican American Studies program in the Tucson Unified School District.

Participants in Wi7 in New Orleans will have an opportunity to support the free speech rights of children and young readers by bidding on a dozen original pieces of children’s art by some of the book industry’s top artists and illustrators.

Last week, Flyleaf Books was caught in the middle of a controversy when several members of the community expressed strong opposition to an upcoming event on oil, gas, and energy supplies that was part of a series of talks presented in conjunction with UNC–Chapel Hill.

California booksellers could face civil fines of up to $500 if they improperly disclose customer information under a state law on reader privacy that goes into effect on January 1. 

The New York Library Association has presented its SirsiDynix Intellectual Freedom Award for 2011 to the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.

To help plan next year’s 30^th anniversary celebration of Banned Books Week, ABFFE is asking booksellers to complete a brief online survey.

ABFFE survey seeks Banned Books Week suggestions; Washington Post features “Indie City Index”; Google eBook Store launches in Canada; SBA to host disaster-preparedness webinar on November 15; HarperCollins in deal to buy Thomas Nelson