Free Expression

ABA is urging booksellers to immediately contact members of the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose a bill that extends provisions of the USA Patriot Act for six years without restoring safeguards to protect the privacy of bookstore and library records.

ABFFE announced today that award-winning jewelry designer Carolyn Forsman, creator of the bestselling “I Read Banned Books” bracelets, has joined its affiliate program.

Award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson talks to ABFFE President Chris Finan about her role as chair of the ABC Children’s Group Silent Auction at BEA, the challenges to her books in schools and local libraries around the country, and the effects these have had on her, on kids, and on other writers.

Attacks on the free speech rights of children will be the focus of two events on Wednesday, May 25, at BEA. At the first, authors Laurie Halse Anderson and Robie Harris will join librarian Pat Scales for “Book Banning 2011: A Report From the Front Lines of the Battle for Free Speech,” moderated by Joan Bertin of the National Coalition Against Censorship.

All BEA attendees are invited to the ABC Children’s Group Silent Auction and Reception to benefit the new ABFFE Fund for Free Speech in Children’s Books. Tickets for the May 25th evening event are on sale now.

The ABA Board of Directors has sent a special appeal to their fellow booksellers to resume the 10-year-old battle to restore the safeguards for reader privacy that were eliminated by the USA Patriot Act.

Hawaii House Bill 548 died in the state’s Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor this week, following months of opposition by Media Coalition, whose members include ABFFE and AAP.

On Monday, April 11, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation addressing constitutional flaws in a statute that was challenged by a coalition including Harvard Book Store, Porter Square Books, ABFFE, and others.

Eisenberg wins Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction; Voting opens for Children’s Choice Book Awards; Algonquin Book Club to host author webcast from bookstore; Finalists named for the Lammys and Triangle awards; Banned books return to shelves in Tunisia and Egypt

The fight to restore safeguards for reader privacy that were eliminated by the USA Patriot Act took an important step forward last week.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression has joined with more than 40 free speech, civil liberties, and civil rights groups in a protest against plans by the House Homeland Security Committee to investigate the threat of Islamic “radicalization” in the U.S.

Media Coalition is calling on Hawaii’s House Judiciary Committee to respect the First Amendment rights of authors and publishers of visitor guidebooks and websites.

On Thursday, February 17, House members from both parties will try to add an amendment to an appropriations bill that would restore the safeguards for bookstore and library records that were eliminated by the Patriot Act.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue has reached a settlement in the legal fight regarding the state’s request for sales data from Amazon.com in its efforts to recoup an estimated $50 million in lost tax revenue for online purchases.

ABFFE is co-sponsoring a new program that will bring media lawyers and reporters to bookstores around the country to discuss important free speech issues, including censorship, source confidentiality, and the impact of the Internet on press freedom.