In order to help young people discover new books, diverse voices, and topics that might pertain to them, the Brooklyn Public Library has launched a new campaign called ‘Books UnBanned’. Book Riot states that the new program allows “anyone across the country between the ages of 13 and 21 to get a free eCard from BPL, which will give them access to 350,000 ebooks and 200,000 audiobooks, as well as access to databases.”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Blade, Nick Higgins, chief librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library said, “Challenges to books and book bans are nothing new, but it just seems that the efforts have gotten a lot more coordinated, a lot more intense, so the pushback needs to be as coordinated and as urgent.”
The program is designed to help combat censorship and embrace diversity, equality, and inclusion. For any young person interested in obtaining their free library card, they can apply by either emailing BooksUnbanned@bklynlibrary.org or messaging their teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture.
For more information, the Library’s Books UnBanned webpage offers tons of resources for young people, including online Zoom events and meetings, personalized book recommendations, articles on how to combat censorship, and more.
