Industry News

In preparation for war in the Middle East, orders from the Pentagon are placing thousands of military reservists on active duty. These reservists -- who previously were required to serve one weekend per month plus a 15-day tour per year -- include many pillars of their communities. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers serve as reservists; quite a few high school wrestling coaches have been called up (according to AP reports), and, at least one bookseller.

Twenty-six fellow members of Congress have joined Rep. Bernie Sanders in introducing federal legislation that would remove a threat to the privacy of bookstore and library records, created by the USA Patriot Act. Under the provisions of H.R. 1157, The Freedom to Read Protection Act, the FBI would be barred from seeking "personally identifiable information concerning a patron of a bookseller or library." The government may still attempt to subpoena this information if it can make sufficient legal showing.

On March 6, 2003, Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Freedom to Read Protection Act of 2003, federal legislation that would remove a threat to the privacy of bookstore and library records that was created by the USA Patriot Act. At present, the proposed amendment has 26 co-sponsors, including Ron Paul (R-TX) and John Conyers (D-MI), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

On Monday, March 10, NBC News' Today Show announced that the ninth selection of its monthly "Today Book Club" is Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros (Knopf). The title was a November/December 2002 Book Sense 76 pick.

At a press conference held today in Washington, D.C., Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced federal legislation that would remove a threat to the privacy of bookstore and library records, created by the USA Patriot Act. At present, the proposed amendment, called the Freedom to Read Protection Act of 2003, has 24 co-sponsors, including Ron Paul (R-TX).

This year's finalists for the Book Sense Book of the Year Award in the adult fiction category include two debut novels and stories that take place in settings as diverse as the turbulent Pacific Ocean and a placid, custom-made heaven. Plots weave through backdrops of the Civil Rights Act, acts of world war, and acts of depravity. In addition to their excellence, these five novels share youthful protagonists, all under the age of 20. The enormous range of their experiences make each book uniquely compelling.

The American Library Association's (ALA) and American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) legal challenge of a federal library filtering law continues.

On March 5, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the government's appeal of a lower court's ruling last May that the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is unconstitutional. CIPA would require public libraries seeking government subsidies to install filtering software to block materials considered obscene, child pornography, or "harmful to minors."

Barbie waited huddled by the Easy Bake Oven and even the Big Wheels needed four-wheel-drive when New York City was blanketed with close to two feet of snow in the middle of the 100th annual American International Toy Fair, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the city's West Side from February 16 - 19. Retailers who attended on Sunday, the opening day of the show floor, and left promptly in the afternoon, were in luck. Others, who planned on visiting Monday or Tuesday, were faced with few, if any, transportation options.

Ellen DeGeneres to Appear at Benefit Performance

BookExpo America (BEA) has announced speakers for its special events at this year's trade show, including its annual Book & Author Breakfasts. BEA will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, May 28 - June 1, 2003.

By Linda Ramsdell

New England Booksellers Association President Linda Ramsdell recently wrote NEBA members about her concerns over the USA Patriot Act, the importance of the First Amendment, and her beliefs about the full definition of the word "patriot." BTW is grateful to Ramsdell and to NEBA for permission to reprint her letter from the February issue of NEBA News.

Independent booksellers, including Kepler's, protest state's tax system

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

Author Judy Blume

On March 3, a dozen national groups and author Judy Blume filed an amicus brief in support of two Arkansas parents who are challenging in federal court the decision by the Ced

On Thursday, March 27, the American Booksellers Association will hold its second Booksellers Forum in the Great Lakes Region this spring. The forum and other ABA programming will be held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) Spring Meeting at the Transitions Learning Center in Chicago. In early February, approximately 30 booksellers attended an ABA Booksellers Forum at Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In Irvine, California, the purchase of an incorrectly marked $10 gift certificate might end up costing a bookseller a lot of money -- that is, if attorney Michael Geller has his way. He recently informed Irvine Sci-Tech Books in Irvine, California, of his intent to file suit because a $10 gift certificate that he purchased for his wife had an expiration date, which is illegal in California.

Three More Forums Scheduled for March

The American Booksellers Association will be holding a Booksellers Forum in conjunction with the Upper Midwest Booksellers Association (UMBA) Spring Meeting, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday, March 8. The UMBA Spring Meeting runs from March 8 - 9.