Free Expression

The American Booksellers Association and its partners in the Campaign for Reader Privacy today voiced support for a new House bill that would restore important reader privacy protections eliminated eight years ago by the USA Patriot Act. The USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R.

The American Booksellers Association today joined with its partners in the Campaign for Reader Privacy in urging Congress to expand proposed protections for library records in a Patriot Act reauthorization bill to encompass all books -- whether borrowed or purchased.

In what many consider to be one of the most important free speech cases to be argued in 25 years, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a ban on depictions of animal cruelty that critics argue could be applied broadly to encompass everything from popular movies and documentary films to books and images posted by animal welfare groups.

From September 26 through October 3, indies around the country celebrated Banned Books Week with everything from in-store displays to special events.

Chris Finan By Chris Finan, President of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression It never hurts to be lucky.

Last fall, Carl Lennertz, vice president for independent retailing at HarperCollins, put out a call to booksellers and librarians for essays for regional versions of State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America (edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, Ecco). The Great Lakes Reader, the first of nine planned titles, debuts this October.

Work began in earnest this week on reauthorization of three provisions of the USA Patriot Act, which are set to expire at the end of this year. The Obama administration told lawmakers that it is in favor of renewal of the provisions, but is open to possible changes to the law to ensure the protection of Americans' civil liberties.

Thousands of indie bookstore customers are reading with less eyestrain and supporting free speech under a partnership between the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and 2020 Vision USA, which launched in June at BookExpo America.

Here's a look at some of the freely available resources that make it easy for booksellers to participate in this year's celebration of Banned Books Week (from September 26 through October 3).

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is urging booksellers to help publicize the hundreds of attacks on books that occur in the U.S. every year by participating in Banned Books Week, the national celebration of the freedom to read, from September 26 through October 3.