ABFFE Launches New FREADOM Gift Card Design

This week, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) unveiled a new design for its popular FREADOM gift card. Now, along with Roger Roth's popular illustration of the Statue of Liberty reading a book, the face of the FREADOM card explains to customers that the participating bookseller is contributing 10 percent of the value of the card to defending the freedom to read.

"We want to make sure that customers know that they are contributing directly to the fight for free speech," ABFFE President Chris Finan said. "The design also ensures that the booksellers get the credit they are due for supporting the First Amendment."

The deadline for ordering this year's FREADOM gift card is July 14, and booksellers will receive their orders in time for Banned Books Week celebrations (September 27 - October 4). (The new design can be previewed in PDF format on the ABFFE website, www.abffe.com.)

Since its launch in 2006, the FREADOM gift card program has raised more than $20,000 to support ABFFE.

ABFFE provides the cards for free to booksellers participating in the ABA Gift Card Program in return for a donation of 10 percent of the gift card sale and any amounts later added to the card. ABFFE covers the cost of the card, the matching presenter, and the 50-cents per card transaction fee.

ABA handles the accounting, tracking the sale of the cards, deducting the donation, and transferring the funds to ABFFE. (The FREADOM card is offered in conjunction with the ABA's Gift Card program, and all other program fees apply. Booksellers who wish to add their logo will pay for imprinting. Shipping and handling fees also apply.)

To order the FREADOM card, booksellers should e-mail ABA's Jill Perlstein, or fill out the online order form and fax it to (914) 373-6685 by July 14.