ABFFE & PEN American Center Joint Membership Offer Expires May 1

Booksellers who would like to take advantage of a special, limited-time membership offer to join both the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and PEN American Center for just $50, the usual price for ABFFE membership alone, need to sign up by Thursday, May 1.

Membership in ABFFE includes a ready-to-frame statement, "To Our Customers," that declares a bookstore's commitment to protect the First Amendment and privacy rights of its customers; the ABFFE handbook, Censorship and First Amendment Rights: A Primer; the pamphlet "Protecting Customer Privacy in Bookstores"; and ABFFE Update, a monthly e-mail newsletter. ABFFE will also send new members several of its popular FREADOM products, including a decal for the store's window, a pin, and, exclusively for this membership appeal only, a colorful FREADOM T-shirt.

In addition to taking part in PEN's important work, as a new Associate Member booksellers will receive a subscription to the award-winning journal PEN America; a discounted subscription to the online database Grants and Awards Available to American Writers; access to the Associate Member Exchange (an online bulletin board); and discounts and invitations to select PEN public programs and events, including the World Voices festival.

A regular ABFFE membership is $50 per year; PEN charges its Associate Members $40. Until May 1, booksellers can join both organizations for just $50. (Learn more.)