No Rest for ABFFE's Chris Finan

Chris Finan, president of ABFFE

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and its president, Chris Finan, have had a very busy year. ABFFE has been playing a significant role in many free expression cases, including legal efforts to bar enforcement of the Child Online Protection Act, which would restrict access to a wide range of Constitutionally protected materials; a successful challenge striking down a Colorado "minors' access" bill; and, of course, continuing to inform booksellers about efforts to repeal Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.

In addition to his work as president of ABFFE, Chris Finan was recently elected chair of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), an alliance of 50 national nonprofit organizations working to defend freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression, as well as to educate the public on the dangers of censorship. And, in May, Finan was elected to the board of trustees of the American Library Association's (ALA's) Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), which promotes and defends the First Amendment and supports the right of libraries to include in their collections, and make available, any work that they legally acquire.

At the National Book Awards ceremony, held on November 17, Judy Blume, who was presented the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters by the National Book Foundation, recognized Finan, and three others, for their work defending First Amendment rights. Dubbing them the "fab four" and asking each to stand, Blume acknowledged Finan; Joan Bertin of the NCAC; Pat Scales, a teacher, librarian, and activist; and Judith F. Krug, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Those interested in protecting the First Amendment, Blume noted, are "going to be busier in the next four years.... The urge to ban [books] spreads like wild fire...." She encouraged people to become involved because "censors hate publicity."

ABA COO Oren Teicher, who preceded Finan as president of ABFFE, expressed the association's pleasure in having Finan singled out by Blume. "Booksellers are indeed fortunate to have such an effective leader working on their behalf in the fight for free expression," said Teicher.

BTW recently asked Finan about his work with ABFFE, NCAC, and FTRF.

BTW: Can you tell our readers about some of the items on ABFFE's agenda for 2005?

Chris Finan: Of course, our main priority will be the Patriot Act. The administration has promised to reauthorize all of the sections of the act that are due to expire at the end of 2005, including Section 215. But the Campaign for Reader Privacy came very close to winning in the House in July. The fight will continue and intensify. At the same time, we will lend our support to every important First Amendment struggle. This week we added our name to a friend of the court brief that challenges the Texas State Board of Education’s disapproval of a textbook because it mentioned global warming.

BTW: Congratulations on being elected to chair the board of the National Coalition Against Censorship. What are some of your goals?

CF: I am very honored to be serving as chair of NCAC, which is the largest national organization exclusively devoted to the fight for free expression. For the last 30 years, NCAC has supported hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and librarians in defending books that have been challenged because someone found them offensive. It is also been a leading defender of the First Amendment rights of artists. Our goals for the foreseeable future will be to hold the line against the growing threat to free speech posed by the federal government. Among other things, we are worried by the growth of government secrecy and by efforts to use government to curb "indecency" in the media.

BTW: And you were also elected to the board of the Freedom to Read Foundation.

CF: The Freedom to Read Foundation works very closely with ABFFE. It was created by the American Library Association, so we share a common concern for protecting reader privacy. It has been a staunch ally in our fight to restore the protections for privacy that were eliminated by the Patriot Act. We have also been working closely with ALA's Washington office on other issues and will shortly join ALA on an amicus brief opposing Vice President Dick Cheney's effort to keep secret the names of the people he appointed to an energy task force.

BTW: Why is it important to work with other groups?

CF: We often talk about "a free speech community." But there are relatively few people who defend First Amendment rights full-time. Therefore, it is critical to work closely with other advocates, sharing information and coordinating our activities. It makes us far more effective than we would be alone.

BTW: It must have been quite an honor to be recognized by Judy Blume at the National Book Awards, along with Joan Bertin, Pat Scales, and Judith F. Krug …

CF: It was a thrill to be there. I have always admired Judy for her bravery in taking on issues that many people don't want discussed at all, much less in books for children. She is very grateful for the support she has received in her fight with the censors, and she has supported us strongly in return. It was just like her to want to share the spotlight with us. --Interview by Karen Schechner