NYC’s libraries are leading a nationwide effort to combat book bans this weekend
More than 10,000 books were removed from public schools, at least temporarily, during the 2023-24 school year, according to PEN America. In response, NYC libraries are holding events this Saturday, October 19, “to inspire action against book bans and for the freedom to read.”
NYC’s three library systems have come together to lead nearly 200 libraries and bookstores across the country in the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action, which will include events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. It’s the first nationwide day of action to combat book bans and censorship.
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“The democratic principles upon which both our nation and public libraries were founded include the right of every individual to seek information from all points of view,” Nick Higgins, the chief librarian at Brooklyn Public Library, told Time Out New York.
In order to encourage that curiosity, Brooklyn’s Central Library in Prospect Heights is giving away hundreds of banned books for free, highlighting local performers such as the Fogo Azul NYC drumline and the Resistance Revival Choir, and including speeches from ACLU’s policy director Lee Rowland and former NBA player Albert King. The event starts at 11am.
Similar events are taking place across the city. In Manhattan, picture books and YA publications will be given away, DJs will spin music, and Anthony W. Marx, the president of The New York Public Library will speak amongst others on the steps of The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at noon.
In Queens, readers of all ages will share passages from frequently banned books, along with a banned book giveaway, starting at 11am In front of the Queens Public Library’s Flushing branch.
“We are here to demonstrate the broad support that exists in our communities across the country for libraries and for an individual’s right to choose what they want to read—without restriction or interference from the government or others,” Higgins added.