Collection Developments @ Sno-Isle

sick of hearing the same words used over and over in reviews?  here’s a compilation of Bob Harris’ pet peeves with blog comments providing additional fodder.  anything to add?

from today’s Shelf Awareness:

One of the stranger censorship laws we’ve heard about, signed into law last week by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, requires mainstream bookstores in the Hoosier State to register with the government if they sell “sexually explicit materials.” As is often the case with these kinds of laws, “sexually explicit” is defined so broadly as to apply to mainstream novels, work with any kind of sexual content and educational books about sexuality and sexual health.

One of the bill’s sponsors told the Indianapolis Star that the law is aimed at “helping counties that do not have zoning ordinances track businesses selling sexually explicit material, including videos, magazines and books,” especially adult stores that open along interstates in the southern part of the state. And a spokesperson for the governor told the Star that the law applies only to new businesses, those that relocate or businesses that begin offering “sexually explicit” material after the law goes into effect.

But many booksellers and legal experts disagree. “This lumps us in with businesses that sell things that you can’t even mention in a family newspaper,” Ernie Ford, owner of Fine Print Book Store in Greencastle, said in the Star.

In a statement, ABFFE president Chris Finan said, “It is un-American to force booksellers to register with the government based on the kinds of books they carry. It is also unconstitutional, and we intend to do everything we can to challenge this violation of the First Amendment rights of Indiana booksellers and their customers.”

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association, 15 independent bookstores and Borders Group sent a letter to the governor before he signed the bill. But a statement from the governor’s office indicated that he had not received the letter and that “no complaints were brought to our attention.”

Now the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression is asking the Media Coalition to challenge the new law.