Free Expression

It's likely that Karin Anna of Looking Glass Bookstore in Portland, Oregon, speaks for many independent booksellers when she describes the final phase of the Campaign for Reader Privacy as "very important." With Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act set to expire at the end of the year and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acknowledging at Congressional Judiciary hearings that 215 needs some "clarification," it certainly appea

On Tuesday, May 3, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) announced it was extending by one week the deadline for contributions to its Silent Auction, which will be conducted during BookExpo America (BEA) at New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center in June. The contribution deadline is now Friday, May 13.

On Thursday, April 28, the House continued its hearings on the USA Patriot Act, as the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security (SCTH) heard testimony from four witnesses regarding Sections 206 and 215. During testimony, proponents of making the provisions permanent, including a representative from the Department of Justice, once again reiterated their willingness to clarify Section 215 to safeguard citizens' civil liberties.

Jane Fonda wasn't the first controversial author that Rainy Day Books has featured at an author event, and she certainly won't be the last, but the Fairway, Kansas, bookstore may be hard pressed to host another event that garners the same amount of media attention.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is quickly running out of its limited edition Harry Potter T-shirts. Only Adult Medium and Small sizes remain.

Booksellers who would like to have the T-shirts for festivities marking the July 16 release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince should order now as supplies are limited.

When Rep. Bernie Sanders reintroduced the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157), legislation that would remove the threat to the privacy of bookstore and library records created by Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, in March, 107 fellow members of Congress were listed as co-sponsors of the bill. Since that time, 10 more members of Congress have added their names to the list of co-sponsors.

The new co-sponsors are:

In a statement released on April 12, 2005, the co-sponsors of the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP) -- the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, and PEN American Center -- said that they welcomed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' stated willingness to address problems with Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, which authorizes FBI searches of business records, including the recor

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), the bookseller's voice in the fight against censorship, is urging publishers, booksellers, and others in the book industry to support the fight for free expression by contributing to the ABFFE Silent Auction, which will be held during BookExpo America in New York in June.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is quickly running out of its limited edition Harry Potter T-shirts and buttons. Since launching a clearance sale in late March, ABFFE has sold nearly 500 shirts and more than 3,000 buttons.

On Wednesday, April 6, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared before the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) at an oversight hearing on the USA Patriot Act to answer questions from House Representatives about the 16 provisions of the Act set to sunset at the end of the year. Gonzales, testifying a day after appearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, reiterated his stance that the Department would consider amending Section 215 to clarify the law.

On Tuesday, April 5, in a statement before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (SCJ), Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urged the oversight committee to renew Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act; however, under questioning, he acknowledged that some modifications to the provision would be acceptable to the Department of Justice. Gonzales testified alongside FBI Director Robert S. Mueller during the SCJ's "Oversight of the USA Patriot Act" full committee hearing.

Marcus to Leave Scholastic After Potter Publication

As Senate and House Judiciary committee hearings on the USA Patriot Act began this week, many newspapers around the country voiced support for the sunsetting of provisions threatening Americans' First Amendment rights, including Section 215, which relates to the privacy of bookstore and library records. The following editorial appeared in Eugene, Oregon's Register-Guard on Monday, March 28.

Revise Patriot Act -- Anti-terrorism powers should be scaled back

Dear Bookseller:

We have entered the final phase of the fight to restore the privacy protections of bookstore and library records that were eliminated by the USA PATRIOT Act. Last year, more than 500 ABA member stores collected over 200,000 signatures on petitions demanding that Congress amend Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act.