The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. (SOUNDBITE OF SATYR AND PHLOCALYST'S "TRUST ME")Ĭopyright © 2022 NPR. LIMBONG: He says, hopefully, it'll lead to some hard soul-searching from public libraries everywhere when it comes to pushing back against outside voices calling for book bans. HIGGINS: You know, listen and defending books that we agree with and don't agree with with equal fervor and determination. LIMBONG: Nick Higgins, the chief librarian, knows this is just a small step in the bigger fight against book bans. YAGOUB: So it's a really good opportunity to learn and to, like, decipher the messages or the hidden motives of characters or, like, the significance of settings and of symbols of stories just like these to, like, gain knowledge for yourself and also, like, get an understanding of the world also. The point is for these kids to get together and share resources to push back against encroaching censorship and, of course, talk books because as Yagoub says, a book isn't just a story. Before giving you a good minute on why the sci-fi series she's currently reading rocks. GABAS YAGOUB: Well, that's hard to say because I don't have a favorite book because all books are my favorite (laughter). But one library system has announced a program to challenge the tide of book bannings. Another part is connecting teens in districts with banned books to participating teenagers in Brooklyn, teens like Gabas Yagoub (ph), a junior at Midwood High School (laughter) and the type of kid who, when you ask if she's read any good books lately, says stuff like. A recent survey from Pen America found that more than a thousand titles have been banned from various school districts since July, books like 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison and the memoir Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe. And the free e-card is just one part of it. It's part of a campaign the library is calling Books Unbanned. And it's specifically for younger people, folks between the ages of 13 and 21. LIMBONG: This would normally cost 50 bucks, by the way. Which gives them access to about half a million audiobooks and e-books in our system at Brooklyn Public Library unrestricted, totally for free. LIMBONG: That's Nick Higgins, chief librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. NICK HIGGINS: We are offering them, basically, a free out-of-state e-card. You can email the Brooklyn Public Library system over in New York and explain to them the situation. Since April, Brooklyn Public Library’s (BPL) Books Unbanned program has offered free library cards to teens and young adults across the United States who live in communities impacted by book bans, enabling them to access the library’s collection of more than 500,000 ebooks, e-audiobooks, digital magazines, and more. NPR's Andrew Limbong has more.ĪNDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: Let's say you're a 14-year-old kid living in a school district that's just banned the young adult memoir "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. A recent survey from Pen America found that more than a thousand titles have been banned from various school districts since July, books like "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison and the memoir Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe. Opponents of the bans say it’s important for students to learn about systemic racism and other recently in-vogue subjects.More school districts are banning books from classrooms and school libraries. “The school is to educate kids to give them the tools that they need to eventually succeed in life. “The school is not a playground for politicians,” Elana Fishbein, founder, and president of the group No Left Turn in Education told Politico. Red state lawmakers across the country have waged campaigns in recent months against books they say promote Critical Race Theory, gender transition and other subjects they claim are tantamount to political indoctrination. The library’s “Books Unbanned” program allows non-residents, ages 13 to 21, access to the collection and has already lent 25,000 books since spring - including thousands to students in states with book restrictions. The Brooklyn Public Library has been wading into the nation’s culture wars in an effort to circumvent book bans in Republican-controlled states. Here’s how you can apply lessons from top athletes to your own life Meet the real-life Rockette who inspired a glittering new novel Ron DeSantis became a millionaire last year - but still owes student loans The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries. Grab Reese’s Book Club July 2023 pick and all others on her list, with ratings BPL is proud to celebrate Seattle Public Library's Books Unbanned as a crucial partner in defending and expanding the freedom to read.
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