Free Expression

Perseus Books Group back on the market; WNDB announces winner of first short story contest; Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition to honor Joyce Meskis

The American Booksellers for Free Expression has joined the American Library Association and other library groups in urging a federal court to limit the National Security Agency’s surveillance of international electronic communications, including those relating to the purchase and use of books.

Booksellers planning celebrations for Banned Books Week (September 27–October 3) can take advantage of an additional discount on a wide range of banned and challenged titles, as well as downloadable Banned Books Week-themed designs.

Just in time for this year’s Banned Books Week, the Ingram Content Group is offering an additional discount on a list of 450 banned and challenged titles on ipage®, Ingram’s search and order content platform.

On January 1, 2016, a new law will go into effect in Delaware that requires all “book service providers” with online sales exceeding two percent of their gross sales to protect the privacy of customer information.

Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is hosting an all-family story time and book drive on August 22 in response to a recent controversy over the book King & King, which led two educators at a nearby school to resign.

American Booksellers for Free Expression Director Chris Finan and ABA Senior Public Policy Analyst David Grogan discuss their roles advocating on behalf of ABA members.

In his monthly opinion column, ABFE Director Chris Finan looks at troubling results from recent polls on Americans’ understanding of their First Amendment rights as well as their feelings towards censorship.

Regulator Bookshop owner Tom Campbell talks to ABFE Director Chris Finan about how easy he found it to organize a program of readings by local authors and others from banned books, an event he plans to reprise for Banned Books Week.

Booksellers planning celebrations for Banned Books Week, which takes place this year from September 27 to October 3, can enhance their displays with a variety of all-new, downloadable Banned Books Week-themed designs for use on posters, bookmarks, T-shirts, and more. 

Though the reported number of book challenges has fallen, statistics do not give a full picture, says ABFE Director Chris Finan. “The reality is that censorship is still a problem in this country, and most of the victims are kids. Sometimes books are literally taken out of their hands.”

On Friday, July 10, a federal judge in Phoenix permanently blocked Arizona officials from enforcing a 2014 law restricting the display of nude pictures in books, newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet.

At its annual conference in Brussels earlier this month, the European & International Booksellers Federation reaffirmed its “absolute” belief in and support for freedom of speech, of publishing, and of bookselling.

ABFE Director Chris Finan expresses his personal belief that the Espionage Act charges against Edward Snowden should be dropped, allowing him to be tried for stealing government documents or another lesser crime.

The two auctions of children’s book art that were held in conjunction with BookExpo America raised almost $60,000 to defend the free speech rights of kids, the American Booksellers for Free Expression reported on Wednesday.