Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here. BPL’s offering will likely prove invaluable to young people in states that may not allow school libraries to carry such books - or states that would allow parents to monitor what their children check out at the library. The Brooklyn Public Library has launched a new campaign, Books Unbanned, to help teens combat the negative impact of Godson: you are the calm, the peace, and. The BPL press release also cites an initiative called “Moms for Libraries” which is being spearheaded by right-wing group Moms for Liberty the group’s aim, per Media Matters, is to remove books with “inappropriate” content from public schools, and to replace them with books such as the anti-trans children’s book Elephants Are Not Birds.Ĭountless other attacks on free speech, and especially books that contain LGBTQ+ and anti-racist content, are proliferating throughout state legislatures as well. Nearly 6000 teens, from every state in the nation, have applied for the card. RT susanmcgraw88: Brooklyn Public Library Offers Free eCards to Teens Nationwide Facing Book Bans in Local Communities Brooklyn Public Library. By Madina Touré 05:00 AM EDT NEW YORK The front line of America’s culture war now runs straight through the nation’s school libraries with conservatives in dozens of states outlawing. Brooklyn Public Library Issues eCards so Teens Nationwide Can Access Banned Books Librarians and teen volunteers spearhead books Unbanned Initiative to combat censorship across the country Anna Bradley-Smith 2:34 PM Brooklyn Public Library is issuing eCards to teens nationwide to increase access to banned books. That coordinated censorship effort includes more than 700 complaints made to public libraries in 2021 - the most complaints in a single year on record, according to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. Books Unbanned opens BPL’s entire electronic catalog, with about 500,000 items, to anyone in the United States, ages 13 to 21, making books freely available at any point in time in any community in the country. The press release cites the “increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves” as inspiration for this initiative. The list includes LGBTQ+ books like The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, Tomboy by Liz Prince, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison. In addition to expanding access for those around the country, BPL is also making unlimited copies of certain challenged books available for all cardholders. “Limiting access or providing one-sided information is a threat to democracy itself.From histories of Indigenous identities to ace critiques of our current society of "compulsory sexuality," these 13 queer and trans texts will expand your vision of what it means to be LGBTQ+. On Wednesday, the library launched a new program entitled Books UnBanned, that allows 13- to 21-year-olds to apply for a free library eCard, regardless of where they live. Donate today to help BPL provide teens nation-wide with the opportunity to access BPLs digital collections. Teens will be connected to BPL’s Intellectual Freedom Teen Council, peers in their Brooklyn community (if they are residents), will be provided with resources on how to fight censorship and find a place to share stories, essays and videos on the impacts of book bans and the importances of intellectual freedom.Īccess to banned books is more important than ever, with the American Library Associations’ Office of Intellectual Freedom finding over 700 complaints over the last year. “Brooklyn Public Library stands firmly against censorship and for the principles of intellectual freedom-the right of every individual to seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction,” said Nick Higgins, Chief Librarian. BPLs Books Unbanned initiative is a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves. ![]() You can email the Brooklyn Public Library system over in New York and explain to them the situation. Our 61 neighborhood branches are the anchors of their communities with incredible reach. ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: Lets say youre a 14-year-old kid living in a school district thats just banned the young adult memoir 'All Boys Arent Blue' by George M. When an increased number of books became banned across the United States. To apply for the card, eligible teens can email or via the Library’s s teen-run Instagram account, Normally, there is a $50 for out-of-state cards but the program is waiving the fee for the year.īeing an eCard member provides readers with more than just access to literature. NEW YORK - The Brooklyn Public Library's 'Books Unbanned' program was created in response to efforts to remove controversial titles from library shelves. Your involvement helps keep the library a vibrant and vital cultural and civic center for everyone. 5 librarians at Brooklyn Public Library earn Librarians of the Year for ‘Books Unbanned’ initiative.
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