With Tennessee becoming a national headline lately for banning books, the Nashville Public Library is letting you make an opposite statement. They're issuing library cards that say "I read banned books".
In their statement, they said,
"The freedom to read is...continuously under attack." This is an excerpt from American Library Association's 1953 Freedom to Read statement, which could well have been written today. Since the American Library Association (ALA) began tracking challenges against books in the 1980s, the organization has recorded thousands of challenges made in cities across the U.S.
In contrast, 71% of readers oppose efforts to remove books from their local public libraries, according to an ALA survey of 1,000 voters and 472 parents of public-school children. That poll comprised Democrats 75%, Republicans 70% and independent voters 58%.
Today, for our Freedom to Read campaign, we’re calling on everyone to celebrate intellectual freedom with us, with a free, special edition “Banned Books” Nashville Public Library card.
These limited edition cards are available online and at our 21 locations. As always, an NPL card is free, and there’s no fee to switch out your existing card for this special design. Visit your local library location to get yours today!
Photo: Getty Images
If you are not chilled by the attack against ideas, watch this clip from the floor of the TN legislature last week.
Here's more on that story. See ya at the library.