Ungagged Librarians to Speak at Banned Books Week Event

What does it feel like to be gagged by your own government? Three Connecticut librarians whose gags were recently removed will talk about their experience during a Banned Books Week program in Washington, D.C. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the members of the Campaign for Reader Privacy are sponsoring the September 28 program, "Protecting Privacy, Challenging Secrecy, and Standing Up for the First Amendment." It will be held at the National Press Club from noon to 2 p.m.

The Connecticut librarians were gagged after they received a National Security Letter (NSL) from the FBI ordering them to turn over information about the computer use of one of their patrons. The librarians refused to release the information unless a judge ordered them to comply. (NSLs are issued by the FBI without judicial review.) With the support of ACLU, they challenged the NSL on First Amendment grounds, and the FBI finally withdrew the NSL. ABFFE filed an amicus brief supporting the librarians.

Other speakers on Sept. 28 will include ABC reporters Brian Ross and Richard Esposito, former New York Times reporter James Risen and Professor Mark Feldstein of George Washington University. The FBI secretly obtained the telephone records of Ross and Esposito in an effort to identify their sources for stories on U.S. interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. Feldstein, who is working on a biography of investigative reporter Jack Anderson, refused an FBI demand that he turn over classified documents that are part of Anderson's personal papers. Risen is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who revealed the existence of illegal domestic eavesdropping by the National Security Agency.

Seating for the event is limited. People interested in attending should contact Judy Platt at the Association of American Publishers. A recording of the event will be released later.

FREADOM Isn't Free! ABFFE Seeks Support from Bookstore Customers

ABFFE is seeking to persuade bookstore customers to contribute to the cost of defending the freedom to read. ABFFE has created a “FREADOM Isn’t Free!” donation box that it hopes booksellers will place on their counters during Banned Books Week, Sept. 23-30. “Booksellers have always been generous supporters of ABFFE, but we have never solicited consumers before,” ABFFE President Chris Finan said. “More than 200,000 bookstore customers signed the reader privacy petition seeking changes in the PATRIOT Act. We’re asking them to put their money where their mouth is.”

Finan said that ABFFE is trying to make the solicitation as easy as possible for booksellers. It has created an attractive and easy-to-assemble donation box that does not occupy much counter space. (The box is 6" wide x 4" high x 4˝" deep. A 4" header fits into slots on top of the box.) In addition, ABFFE has anticipated customer questions about the purpose of the box by listing several of its most important activities, including seeking changes in the PATRIOT Act, opposing the censorship of books in schools, libraries and bookstores, and sponsoring Banned Books Week. To view the donation box, click here.

To order a donation box, send an e-mail.

ABFFE Issues Updated Banned Books Week Handbook

ABFFE has issued an updated version of an online handbook for booksellers who are interested in participating in Banned Books Week (September 23 – 30). It includes a variety of resources for planning events, including banned book lists, up-to-date news about recent book bans and challenges, printable flyers and more. “Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read, and its success depends on the efforts of bookstores and libraries,” Caitlin Delohery, ABFFE program manager, said. “The new handbook generates fresh ideas on how to raise awareness about the importance of protecting free speech.” The Banned Books Week Handbook is available here. 

Flag Amendment Fails Again (But Not By Much)

The vote couldn't have been closer. On June 27, the constitutional amendment to ban flag burning failed by a single vote in the U.S. Senate. The amendment needed a two-thirds majority to pass--67 votes. The vote was 66-34. It had already been approved by the House of Representatives, 286-130.

Three Republicans--Robert F. Bennett of Utah, Lincoln D. Chaffee of Rhode Island and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky--joined 31 Democrats in defeating the measure. Fourteen Democrats voted for it. To see a breakdown of the vote, click here.

Flag burning "is obscene, painful and unpatriotic," Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), who lost an arm in combat during World War II. "But I believe Americans gave their lives in the many wars to make certain that all Americans have a right to express themselves--even those who harbor hateful thoughts."