Book banning efforts are on the rise in America. Across the country, school and community libraries are facing challenges to books about sexual and racial identity. To address this issue, EveryLibrary will host a roundtable discussion on April 6. The title of the discussion is: Censored Authors Speak: A round table discussion about book banning in America.
Participants on the 7-person panel will explore questions about book banning, censorship and the impact on authors as well as readers. Listeners are invited to join the broadcast to hear a conversation among authors and an editor of young adult materials who have had their books challenged and removed from library shelves.
"It's a dark moment when book banning rises in communities, leaving holes in library shelves and plaguing educators." said John Chrastka, Executive Director of EveryLibrary. "When teachers must ask themselves which books are safe to have in their classrooms, our children and communities are at risk. Now is the time to learn about the book banning practice, and how it could impact our authors, our children and our society."
The event will kick off with a brief introduction and welcome from EveryLibrary, then a conversation among the panelists with moderation to identify and explore emerging themes. Panelists will be invited to provide personal reflection on the impact of book-banning, as well as thoughts about how it impacts children and members of vulnerable populations.
Event Date: Wednesday, April 6th at 8:00 ET.
- Contact: Peter Bromberg - 856-617-1899, peter.bromberg@everylibrary.org
- Event Links:
- Event Landing Page: https://www.everylibrary.org/nlw22
Panel:
- Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson (Moderator)
- Alex Gino
- Ashley Hope Pérez
- I.W. Gregorio (Ilene Wong)
- Andrew Karre
- Mark Oshiro
- Robin Stevenson
As we continue to see attacks on the freedom to read across the country, EveryLibrary is working with dozens of local activists and organizations to give them the resources they need to fight back. Readers can find out more about them here.
"It's unfortunate that book banning is a practice that is currently impacting so many communities. However, I'm proud that EveryLibrary can help fight this problem head-on," said Mr. Chrastka. "Through education and advocacy, we can protect our libraries and their treasured books."
About EveryLibrary
EveryLibrary is a 501c4 political action committee dedicated to building voter support for libraries. Since 2012, EveryLibrary has provided donor-supported pro-bono advising and consulting to 121 campaigns" and "$1.8 billion in stable tax funding. Beginning in 2016, EveryLibrary has provided strategic and tactical support to school library communities on education and tax policy, along with supporting dozens of challenges to school library budgets and school librarian positions in schools and districts across the country. Learn more at http://everylibrary.org.