Books-a-Million Donates to OIF During Banned Books Week
When you make a purchase at Books-a-Million in Virginia Beach on Oct. 1, you’ll not only be buying a one-way ticket to new literary worlds and adventures, you’ll also be contributing to the fight against censorship.
The Virginia Beach Books-a-Million and nine other stores in the district will donate 10 percent of their sales made on the Saturday of Banned Books Week to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF).
Banned Books Week – held Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 — celebrates rebel readers, fierce librarians and First Amendment rights. OIF offers a myriad of resources to defend readers’ rights, as well as provides year-round support to librarians when materials are challenged.
“The ALA is a constant source of information and supports the freedom to read all year long, so it is the least we can do to contribute to that cause for one week of the year,” said Ryn Wiggers, the general manager of Books-a-Million in Virginia Beach.
The location plans to display classic banned and challenged titles, along with the top 10 challenged books of 2015. The bookstore will also offer special discounts on select banned books throughout the week.
Books-a-Million’s goal is to educate its customers on the importance of the freedom to read, explained Wiggers.
“Our aim is to support reading especially in children and young adults, and we believe that expanding their worldview is more important now than ever before,” she said. “What better way to do that than with a thought-provoking book?”
2 comments
Thank you for your good work. Banning books is not good for freedom and a democratic way of life regardless of whether they are socialist, conservative or children’s books. Simon & Schuster, Amazon, E-Bay and others should be ashamed, particularly since they owe their success to a free society.