April 7-13 is National Library Week, and Right to Read Day is April 8, so it’s the perfect time to show our support for libraries. If you follow my blog, or just watch the news, then you already know about the current movement to ban and restrict access to books. There’s a new group working to support our freedom to read: Authors Against Book Bans (https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com.)
It is a network of authors that can help stop book bans at the local and national level. Here’s their mission statement:
We stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We unequivocally support the availability of diverse voices on our library shelves, in our schools, and in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, and to fight as one to ensure this freedom. Together, we shall be fearless.
Our concern is not only for the books themselves, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, and communities that suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away. We abhor the bias of the current organized attempt to censor books in schools and libraries across our nation, particularly because of these efforts’ insidious targeting of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, erasure of history, and silencing of voices that speak truthfully about essential human experiences. The great power of literature is its ability to create empathy, foster self-empowerment, imbue knowledge, and enhance diversity of thought. We will defend this power from those who seek to subvert it.
As authors and as members of our local and national communities, we pledge to protect the rights of all young people to access the books they need and deserve.
What a great cause, right?
As you can guess, I’ve signed up to join Authors Against Book Bans. If you’re an author (or illustrator, etc.) you can too, by going to their website and filling out the form at the bottom of the home page. And let us know if you can volunteer, too!
I hope to see you around! Let’s keep fighting for our right to read.
Comments