House Holds Hearings on PATRIOT Act's Section 215

On April 28, the House continued its hearings on the USA PATRIOT Act, as the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security (SCTH) heard testimony from four witnesses regarding Sections 206 and 215. During testimony, proponents of making the provisions permanent, including a representative from the Department of Justice, once again reiterated their willingness to clarify Section 215 to safeguard citizens' civil liberties. Section 215 gives the FBI virtually unlimited access to the records of bookstores and libraries.

Oren Teicher, the American Booksellers Association's chief operating officers, sent a letter via e-mail to booksellers whose Congressional representatives serve on the subcommittee. Teicher urged booksellers to contact their representative to tell "him or her that Section 215 threatens the privacy of reader records." Read more about the House hearing here.

Meanwhile, booksellers report a strong start to the final phase of their petition drive demanding the restoration of the safeguards for reader privacy. Read more, click here.

Rainy Day Books Weathers Controversy Over Fonda Appearance

Jane Fonda wasn't the first controversial author that Rainy Day Books has featured at an author event, and she certainly won't be the last, but the Fairway, Kansas, bookstore may be hard pressed to host another event that garners the same amount of media attention.

Michael A. Smith, a former Marine and a Vietnam Vet, angered over Fonda's 1972 visit to Hanoi, spit tobacco juice at the actress during the Rainy Day-sponsored event at the Unity Temple in Kansas City on April 19 -- a "two minute disruption," said store co-owner Vivien Jennings, that garnered international media attention and, afterwards, a slew of negative e-mails and calls directed at the store and its owners. Read more here.

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) has drafted a statement on author appearances that helps booksellers explain the importance of allowing controversial authors to speak at their stores. To view the statement, click here.

ABFFE Extends Deadline for Silent Auction Contributions

ABFFE has announced that it is extending by one week the deadline for contributions to its Silent Auction, which will be conducted during BookExpo America (BEA) at New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center in June. The contribution deadline is now Friday, May 13. The Silent Auction is ABFFE's largest fundraiser. Every year, ABFFE auctions books, sidelines, bookseller services, tickets for concerts and sporting events, and much more. Most items are contributed by publishers, but many booksellers donate autographed books, book-related art, and more. To date, ABFFE has received donations from over 75 contributors. "We're on our way to meeting our fundraising goal," said ABFFE Auction Manager Caitlin Delohery, "but we still need your help!" For contribution guidelines, click here.  For the contribution form, click here.