Booksellers: Please Respond to TikTok Survey
ABA needs booksellers to provide us with data on TikTok’s importance so we can quantify why an Amazon purchase of TikTok would be bad news for the bookselling industry. We are asking booksellers (especially those that use TikTok) to fill out a survey regarding how you use TikTok for marketing and sales, how many staff hours are dedicated to the platform, and your concerns regarding Amazon's potential acquisition.
Oral Arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor
American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) is carefully monitoring proceedings in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which was argued before the Supreme Court yesterday. The case concerns whether parents should have the right to receive advance notice and opt their children out of any lesson featuring a book they object to on religious grounds — particularly LGBTQIA2S+ books. While the case does not have a direct impact on booksellers, ABFE stands with librarians, educators, authors, illustrators, and publishers in defense of diverse books.
Free Expression Legislation
In Florida, HB 1539 could have a floor vote tomorrow. This bill would skyrocket the number of book bans in Florida schools. It’s not too late to write to your representative asking them to oppose it.
In North Dakota, HB 2307 is headed to the governor for a signature. It’s not too late to write in and ask for a veto.
In Texas, two bills targeting books are moving this week:
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HB 1375 would impact bookstores, authors, publishers, and distributors by creating civil liability if minors access material deemed harmful to minors. Because this is already illegal in the Texas penal code, the bill does nothing but create a pathway for frivolous lawsuits. Thank you to the booksellers who testified against the bill in the capitol today. We will update you when more information is available.
- HB 3225 would lead to book bans in public libraries for anything containing sexual content, regardless of its merit. It opens a new front in the war on books in Texas. The Texas Freedom to Read Project has an action alert you can use to register your opposition.