The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) is urging publishers, booksellers, and others to support the fight for free expression by contributing to the ABFFE Silent Auction, which will be held during BookExpo America. Every year, ABFFE auctions books, book sidelines and services, tickets for concerts and sporting events, and much more to raise funds to support its efforts to protect First Amendment rights.

Most items are contributed by publishers, but many booksellers contribute autographed books and more. This year's auction will include a World War II poster celebrating free speech that was donated by Deacon Maccubbin of Lambda Rising Bookstores.

"The success of the Silent Auction, which is ABFFE's most important fundraiser, depends on our friends in the publishing and bookselling community," said ABFFE President Chris Finan, who also noted that participants in the Silent Auction garner a lot of attention at BEA. ABFFE provides donors with a section of the Silent Auction display where they can promote their products, and contributors are listed in the Silent Auction catalog and thanked on a sign that is prominently placed in the ABFFE booth. In addition, donors can also promote themselves to booksellers who can't make it to the show by participating in the online auction that is conducted on the ABFFE Web site, www.abffe.com [5]. The online auction starts at the same time as BookExpo and continues for two weeks.

To participate in the Silent Auction, donors must submit a contribution form by May 14. Once the auction is over, ABFFE will contact contributors and ask them to ship their donations directly to the winning bidders. To obtain a contribution form, contact ABFFE Auction Manager Caitlin Delohery at (212) 587-4025 or [email protected] [6]. The form is also available online at http://www.abffe.com/contributionform.pdf [7].