NYC public libraries mark Banned Books Week with first-ever national day of action
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This year New York City’s public libraries will mark Banned Books Week with events, activities, and programming to push back against the alarming rise in nationwide censorship. In 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) recorded the highest number of challenged book titles, marking a 92 percent increase from 2022. Along with Banned Books Week from September 22 through 28, the city’s libraries are teaming up with ALA for the first-ever “Freedom to Read Day of Action” on October 19.
According to the ALA, book banning and censorship reached an all-time high in 2023, with a record 4,240 unique book titles targeted for removal. Nearly 50 percent of the books targeted were titles representing the experiences of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
On October 19, libraries, bookstores, and readers nationwide will hold rallies and events to unite against book bans and show support for the fundamental freedom to read.
The Queens Public Library (QPL) will celebrate Banned Book Week with a library card design contest, inviting participants 13 ages and up to submit original artwork that celebrates the freedom to read. The artwork can be inspired by books or authors who have been banned or challenged, or by people’s own interpretation of the freedom to read in Queens.
The contest runs from September 23 through November 30. The winning design will be featured on QPL’s special edition Banned Books library card, set to be released in 2025.
Several QPL branches will take part in the Banned Books Movie Festival. The featured movies, including “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Like Water For Chocolate,” are based on books that were censored in schools and libraries.
Additionally, several popular banned books will be available with no waits on Overdrive through October 31. Titles include “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “Our Skin” by Megan Madison, “The Undefeated” by Kwame Anderson, “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, and “Sold” by Patricia McCormick.
The Friends of Ridgewood Library will celebrate the Freedom to Read with a Banned Books giveaway at Ridgewood Library, located at 20-12 Madison Street, on September 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on September 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The giveaway, available while supplies last, is open to all ages and features titles such as “Strange the Dreamer” by Laini Taylor, “Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré” by Anika Aldamuy Denise, and “Dreamers” by Yuyi Morales.
New York Public Library (NYPL) is launching the second year of its Teen Banned Book Club to coincide with National Banned Books Week. All four titles featured in this year’s book club are graphic novels, reflecting the bans and challenges graphic novelists and authors face when creating work for teens.
The first title is “Flamer” by Mike Curato, which highlights the importance of self-acceptance and community support for LGBTQ+ teens. The graphic novel is available for download today for anyone with an NYPL library card here.
The other three titles, available on a rolling basis throughout the year, include “Run” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell and L. Fury, “Go with the Flow” by Lily Williams and Schneeman, and “The Magic Fish” by Trung Le Nguyen.
NYPL is also launching a brand-new Freedom to Read National Teen Art Contest, inviting participants to submit drawings, paintings, photography, mixed media, comic art, and digital art inspired by reading, libraries, and intellectual freedom.
Submissions open on September 23 and close on December 6. Winners will be published in a special edition of NYPL’s “Teen Voices” magazine, and the grand prize winner’s entry will be exhibited at the New York Public Library.
Brooklyn Public Library will host a variety of events during Banned Books Week, including talks, screenings, and readings. On September 26, the library will hold a special series focused on the challenges of censorship, featuring activities such as a Banned Books quiz-off, a quiet reading party, conversations with best-selling authors about book bans, panel discussions, documentary screenings, and more.
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