Banned Books Week at the Library and an Update on Books Unbanned
Celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week at the Library! Launched in 1982 by the American Library Association, Banned Books Week (Sept. 22 to 28 this year) highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together t…
Celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week at the Library!
Launched in 1982 by the American Library Association, Banned Books Week (Sept. 22 to 28 this year) highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek out, access and express ideas.
The Seattle Public Library is celebrating with programs, displays and an update on our Books Unbanned program, which offers free access to its collection of digital books to teens and young adults across the United States. All Library events are free and open to the public.
Banned Book Week Kick-off with Letterpress Printing.From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 22, Central Library, Living Room, Level 3. Words have power! Kick off your celebration of Banned Books Week today with Partners in Print. Stop by the Central Library's Living Room to letterpress print your own words about what books mean to you.
Banned Books Week: The Impact of Book Bans on Public Libraries. From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Sep. 23. Online. Join The Seattle Public Library Chief Librarian Tom Fay and Folio librarian Lillian Dabney for a discussion about the impact of censorship on public libraries and our communities, and what Seattle has done to respond. Registration is required, but all Library events are free.
Banned Books Week Letterpress Printing.From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27, University Branch. You'll have another opportunity to letterpress print your own words about what books mean to you with Partners in Print. Registration is not required.
Pop-Up Book Sale. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29. Greenwood Branch. Find books and gifts for all ages at the Friends of The Seattle Public Library's pop-up sale while celebrating Banned Books Week and listening to music from Dr. Christopher Hanson, Artistic Director of Rainbow City Performing Arts. Registration is not required.
Books Unbanned: Twice the Number of Cardholders
Launched in April 2023, The Seattle Public Library's Books Unbanned program (www.spl.org/BooksUnbanned) allows young people across the U.S. ages 13 to 26 to access our collection of e-books and audiobooks.
In the past year, the number of Books Unbanned cardholders has more than doubled to over 10,300. Since the program's launch, cardholders have checked out more than 73,000 unique titles, with a total of 250,000 checkouts.
In the past six months, the Library has renewed Books Unbanned cards for 2,900 youth, many of whom have shared stories about how the card has benefited them.
"I use [the card] to borrow books that are not available at my local library or online. This is very important to me because my area is very rural and conservative," wrote a 17-year-old cardholder from Ohio. "I use this card to find digital books and audiobooks that reflect me and help me to not feel alone."
In an op-ed published this week in the Seattle Times, Chief Librarian Tom Fay and Seattle Public Library Foundation executive director Brian Lawrence noted that programs such as Books Unbanned are essential to protecting the freedom to read and learn.
"Books are often challenged because of concerns about harm to young people," they wrote. "But Books Unbanned cardholders have taught us that the real harm is caused by censorship and limited access to stories that have the potential to expand our understanding of ourselves and of the world."
More information on Books Unbanned:
Books Unbanned was started by Brooklyn Public Library in April 2022 to protect the right to read and fight censorship by offering a free library card for teens and young adults around the nation. The Seattle Public Library joined Books Unbanned in April 2023.
The Library's Books Unbanned card is funded by private support through The Seattle Public Library Foundation. People interested in supporting the Books Unbanned initiative can contribute through the Foundation's Equity & Access Fund.
In March, 2024, The American Library Association reported a record number of book challenges in 2023.
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