We’re continuing our series of long-form conversations with San Diego County civic leaders on intellectual freedom and resisting book bans.
Our CEO, Patrick Stewart, sat down with Norma Chávez-Peterson, CEO of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, for a wide-ranging conversation on book challenges, how they affect our democracy, and how listeners can help.
At Library Foundation SD, we are unapologetic about defending the right to read.
This is why we joined the nationwide Books Unbanned campaign to make challenged titles available to youth across the U.S. Books Unbanned, started by our friends at the Brooklyn Public Library, is a program that allows us to increase access to digital copies of frequently challenged books to young readers across the U.S. Since launching our local version of Books Unbanned in October 2023, we have helped more than 1,900 people sign up for digital Books Unbanned library cards.
Seeing themselves in the stories they read can be life-changing for young readers. Representation matters.
“There’s been a lot of work over the last 50 years & what we’re experiencing now is an effort to go backward to really restrict access and the ability for people to access information, stories, narratives, knowledge, and other people’s perspective.”
At the center of these attempts, library staff nationwide are now facing overwhelming book ban attempts. In 2023, the number of books challenged on library shelves surged 65% year-over-year, reaching a record high of 4,240 unique book titles. These book challenges are especially pertinent to the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, which made up nearly half of all the targeted titles in censorship attempts, according to the American Library Association.
You can help our fight to protect intellectual freedom and libraries, and:
- Watch ‘Overdue’ with Dr. Kim Fountain or Norma Chávez-Peterson
- Advocate for your library,
- Learn more about Books Unbanned
Libraries are on the front lines of the battle against book bans, and they are often the most effectively positioned to resist them.
Through these ‘Overdue’ conversations, we hope to illuminate how libraries play an essential role in San Diego’s various fields and industries.
Thank you for supporting our fight for intellectual freedom and the libraries that protect that right.
