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City libraries unite against censorship with 'Day of Action'
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Oct 20, 2024
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Brooklyn Public Library
By
Arun Venugopal
Published Oct 20, 2024
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The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library joined hundreds of libraries nationwide in a “Freedom to Read Day of Action” on Saturday in response to a spike in censorship across the country.
According to the American Library Association’s Unite Against Book Bans site, book bans reached an “all-time high” last year, “with a record 4,240 unique book titles targeted for removal, a 65% increase over the 2,571 unique titles targeted in 2022 and a staggering 128% increase over 2021 numbers.” Preliminary data from the ALA indicates a slowdown between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 this year.
Fritzi Bodenheimer, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Public Library, said the library took part in the action in part because many of the affected books concern LGBT+ characters or characters of color, “and this idea that you would essentially silence or erase those groups should be a concern to us all.”
“Our democracy was built on the idea that you can access information from all perspectives, and when we ban books, we are really going against that fundamental value," she added.
According to Bodenheimer, “we don't experience many instances of book banning or of censorship” in New York City. However, 57 books were challenged in New York state, according to a Times-Union article in May, and one school district received multiple bomb threats last year over “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson.
In 2022, the Brooklyn Public Library initiated a Books Unbanned program meant to help students across the country access books that might’ve been censored in their home states.
“No parental permission, no questions asked,” said Bodenheimer, who said more than 9,000 youth had signed on to the program, checking out 300,000 books in the process.
However, Books Unbanned has also come with serious consequences. In one instance a teacher in Oklahoma who posted a QR code linking to the program subsequently had her teaching license revoked. The teacher, Summer Boismier, asked an Oklahoma state judge to revoke the order this month, but has since moved to New York.
The Brooklyn Public Library marked Saturday with a performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus as well as remarks by Lee Rowland, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship.
The Queens Public Library hosted a “Banned Books Day of Action Rally” at the plaza of its Flushing branch. It also hosted a Banned Books Giveaway and Banned Books Storytime.
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new york city
education
Politics
books
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
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