BEA Spotlight: ABFFE Programming and Special Events

Four Weeks and Counting

This week, BTW shines a spotlight on American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) programming at this year's BookExpo America. BEA will be held from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, at New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center.

"Is Someone Reading Over Your Shoulder?"

On Tuesday, May 4, ABFFE announced that two of the leaders in the fight to amend Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act will speak at BookExpo America.

During the Celebration of Bookselling on Friday evening, the American Booksellers Association will present Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) with an award recognizing his leadership in the campaign to restore the protections for the privacy of bookstore and library records that were eliminated by the Patriot Act. Sanders introduced the first bill to amend Section 215, the Freedom to Read Protection Act, and has led the fight in the House of Representatives.

On Saturday at 1:30 p.m., Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a co-sponsor of the Freedom to Read Protection Act, will provide the latest news on the fight in the House, including the efforts of the administration to reauthorize Section 215 before it expires at the end of the year. Nadler will speak during the program "Is Someone Reading Over Your Shoulder?" which is sponsored by ABFFE, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and the Freedom to Read Foundation. The program will be held in Room 1C 03 of the Javits Center.

The sponsors of the Campaign for Reader Privacy will also be present to answer questions. The Campaign will be represented by ABA COO Oren J. Teicher; AAP President Patricia Schroeder; Larry Siems, director of Freedom to Write and International Programs at PEN American Center; and a spokesperson for the American Library Association.

Book Industry Foundation Benefit

Comedian and author Bill Maher will perform for an audience of booksellers and other book industry professionals at this year's BEA Book Industry Foundation Benefit. The exclusive, "closed" appearance on Saturday, June 4, at New York City's The Town Hall will benefit ABFFE and the Association of American Publishers Get Caught Reading Campaign.

Maher will be at BEA to promote his new book, New Rules, which will be published by Rodale in the fall. New Rules is based on segments from Maher's television show, Real Time, on HBO.

ABFFE President Chris Finan told BTW, "We are delighted that Bill Maher has agreed to help raise funds for ABFFE. He's a comedian who makes robust use of his First Amendment rights, and he will be appearing in a theater that is a civil liberties landmark as well as an architectural gem."

Tickets for the performance may be purchased in advance via the BEA registration form or at the trade show. Subject to availability, tickets may be purchased at The Town Hall the evening of the performance. Open to all BEA attendees and their guests. Tickets are $25 for one ticket, $45 for two, and $100 for five.

ABFFE Silent Auction

The ABFFE Silent Auction offers great bargains on hundreds of items of interest to booksellers and other book industry professionals including books, sidelines, sports and entertainment events, travel packages for all of the regional bookseller shows this fall, and airline tickets. All proceeds from the Silent Auction benefit ABFFE. The Silent Auction, which will be located in the Javits Center's Crystal Palace Lobby, will run all day on Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5, and will end at noon on Sunday, June 5.

ABFFE has just extended the deadline for donations to the Silent Auction to Friday, May 13. (To read more about this, go to news.bookweb.org/read/3476.

The ABFFE Store

BEA is always a great place to show support for ABFFE, and once again the ABFFE Store, located in the Crystal Palace Lobby adjacent to the Silent Auction, will feature a BEA souvenir T-shirt and poster. This year's art is based on the famous 1932 photograph of steelworkers eating lunch on a girder suspended high above New York City. (For more about the poster, go to news.bookweb.org/read/3478.)

In addition, ABFFE will be selling black T-shirts and buttons with its FREADOM logo, as well as a selection of T-shirts and posters from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Harry Potter T-shirts, a favorite at last year's convention, will also be on sale.

The store's hours are 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday.

For more about BEA and ABA educational programming and special events, go to www.bookweb.org/aba/convention/.