American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit!

This new non-profit will be dedicated to protecting the right to read, promoting free expression in the United States, and supporting diversity in literature and bookselling. ABA’s legislative advocacy supporting free expression will continue through ABA’s advocacy department. Going forward, ABFE donations may be tax-deductible and ABFE will be eligible for grants to help support its work.

ABFE Logo

ABFE's Mission

ABFE is organized for educational and literary purposes and participates in the following activities:

Education: We host book signings and talks by authors who offer different viewpoints. We conduct workshops/seminars focused on best practices for supporting different viewpoints in literature and ensuring access to books. We organize and participate in educational events and campaigns to raise awareness about constitutional rights as they pertain to books and reading. We also raise awareness about the importance of the ability for authors and booksellers to express different points of view.

Resources: We develop and distribute educational materials, such as reading lists. ABFE also does limited advocacy work supporting constitutional rights as they pertain to readers, authors, and booksellers.

Approximately 80% of time is dedicated to education, 15% to advocacy, 3% to fundraising, and 2% to admin. These activities help ABA support literature, educate the public on the importance of authors, reading, and different viewpoints in literature.

ABFE's Board

Founding ABFE board members include: Allison Hill, Philomena Polefrone, Ray Daniels, and Dave Grogan from ABA, as well as: 

  • Maggie Tokuda-Hall, an award winning and bestselling children's and young adult book author, and a former independent bookseller. She is a founding member and national leader of Authors Against Book Bans.
  • David Horowitz, a longtime champion of First Amendment rights. He has been the Executive Director of Media Coalition — an association that defends the First Amendment rights of authors, publishers, booksellers and librarians, producers and retailers of films, home video and video games — since 1998. He holds a JD from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

What’s Changed?

In the past, ABA's free expression education, advocacy, and resources have focused on equipping independent bookstores. As ABA continues to do that essential work, ABFE will get at the root of the issue, empowering the public to understand and strengthen the fundamental right to free expression. We will now be able to expand our public-facing resources, offer webinars for broader audiences, grow our social media presence, and participate in more public events.

Public ABFE Resources

Contact ABFE

Do you need help with a free expression issue? Email ABFE now and someone will get back to you shortly.

Banned Books Week Kits for Stores

Each year, Banned Books Week kits are sent annually to participating stores and include materials to decorate your store and educate customers about the freedom to read. Supplies are limited and are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. We ask that each bookstore branch fill out its own form. Online-only stores and international stores are NOT eligible to receive kits.

This year’s Banned Books Week kit included bookmarks and buttons; a poster and stickers, sponsored by Ingram; and red barricade tape to create an eye-catching display.

Finally, wear your support for the right to read with our Banned Books Week apparel. 

Banned Books Week in 2026 was held October 4, 2026 through October 10, 2026.

The ABA Right to Read Handbook

The ABA Right to Read Handbook: Fighting Book Bans and Why It Matters is a comprehensive guide to resisting the epidemic of book censorship through local organizing and engaged citizenship. The Handbook is designed for the potential advocate who may only have a few hours to spare each month. It identifies the causes, actors, motivations, and strategies of groups attempting to ban books across the country. It offers step-by-step guides for voting in a school board election, understanding a school board's policies, contacting elected officials, and more. It features interviews with free expression advocates and state-by-state profiles of local advocacy organizations. Finally, the content is organized into a playbook that will allow concerned readers to begin defending the right to read as soon as book bans arrive in their community.

Available Now!


Must be logged in 

Details:
  • Booksellers can order through Ingram
  • Suggested retail: $18
  • No returns
  • All profits support ABFE’s efforts against book bans

Legislative Advocacy

Mission

American Booksellers for Free Expression (“ABFE”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is the free expression initiative of the American Booksellers Association (“ABA”). ABFE was founded in 1990 to be the bookseller’s voice in the fight against censorship. ABFE’s mission is to promote and protect free expression, particularly expression within books and in literary culture, through legal advocacy, education, and collaboration with other groups with an interest in free speech. ABFE's current mission, informed by ABA's current Ends Policies, is to ensure that core member bookstores have the resources they need in support of their right to freedom of expression and that legal and regulatory policies reflect the interests of independent bookstores. All of ABFE's work will be done in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to antiracism, equity, access, and representation. In instances where bookstores' free expression concerns are outside of this focus, ABFE will connect bookstores with coalition partners that are best suited to address their specific needs.

Donate to ABFE

Anyone can contribute to ABFE's projects and because ABFE is a 501(c)(3), your donation may be tax-deductible. Your support helps us create education and resources for booksellers to advocate for the right to read. It also helps us mobilize independent booksellers and their customers to act in their common interest and for the greater good of readers. And it helps fund our ongoing lawsuits against unconstitutional book ban laws that attack booksellers, readers, and their allies.

Contribute to ABFE

Coalitions and Organizational Partners

ABFE believes that the only way to stand against book bans is to stand together. ABFE is grateful for the support and efforts of its partners, including:

  • Authors Against Book Bans. ABFE works with Authors Against Book Bans on a number of projects, including facilitating book donations, organizing nationally against book bans in school districts and state legislatures, and more. From AABB's website: "We, a collation of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and other book creators, stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We unequivocally support the availability of diverse voices on our library shelves, in our schools, and in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, and to fight as one to ensure this freedom.
  • Banned Books Week Coalition. ABFE actively participates in the Banned Books Week Coalition (BBWC), attending the coalition’s monthly meetings and providing input on the annual event. Each year, ABFE compiles materials (largely sourced from the BBWC) to create and distribute Banned Books Week Kits to participating independent bookstores.
  • Kids' Right to Read Project. ABFE coordinates with the Kids’ Right to Read Project (KRRP) — a part of the Youth Free Expression Program of the National Coalition Against Censorship — as a resource for bookstores faced with First Amendment challenges in their local schools and libraries. ABFE is regularly in communication with KRRP about booksellers’ free expression concerns. When bookstores come to ABFE about book challenges in their local schools and libraries, ABFE connects bookstores directly with KRRP. KRRP then works with bookstores to craft and send letters to their local schools and libraries. In addition, ABFE co-signs KRRP letters to schools and libraries on a case-by-case basis as long as the letters are in line with ABA’s current Ends Policies. 
  • Media Coalition. ABFE is a member of the Media Coalition, an association that protects the First Amendment rights of producers and distributors of media, such as books, movies, and magazines, through its legislative advocacy and in the courts. ABFE attends the Media Coalition’s monthly meetings to learn about potential legislation, lawsuits, and amicus briefs of interest to bookstores. Consistent with ABA’s current Ends Policies, ABFE only signs statements/memos, lawsuits, or amicus briefs that are directly related to bookstores’ needs and that are consistent with ABA's commitment to antiracism, equity, access, and representation. As a result, ABFE’s current work with the Media Coalition may, in some cases, represent a narrowing of ABFE’s work.
  • Unite Against Book Bans. ABFE is a proud member of Unite Against Book Bans, a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. ABFE participates on UABB's Policy and Legislative Subcommittee, Steering Committee, and supports UABB in any other way it can.

Supporters

ABFE is grateful for its affiliate and publisher support.

Contribute to ABFE

Free Expression Resources

Below are ABFE’s resources for bookstores. These resources are monitored for updates annually or sooner, if deemed necessary. Many of these resources are templates that can be customized by bookstores. (Please note: you must be logged in to access these resources.)