How to Defend Your Right to Read (with memes)
Banned Books Week is one month away. The American Library Association offers these methods to defend the books you love and your First Amendment protected right to read them.
1. When in doubt, go to the libraryLibraries all across the country are hosting programs, creating displays, and collecting books. Discover what may be happening in your state. |
2. Read all the booksYou can’t go wrong with the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2015, but there are hundreds of other books that have been challenged or banned in libraries: young adult books, children’s books, diverse books, classics. Or check out the top 100 of the decade! |
3. Stand in solidarity with other readers. May the odds be ever in your favorSocial media is a great way to connect with others who share the same values as you. You can unite with a twibbon on your profile picture, or share the hashtag #bannedbooksweek. |
4. Include the kids. No one is too old for cartoonsIf you need an idea on how to bring up the topic with kids, try a book that involves the theme of intellectual freedom. Or show kids this Captain Underpants poster. |
5. Stand up to bulliesTo stand up, you have to show up. Attend your library board meetings or school board meetings and don’t let others take away your rights. |
6. Don’t judge others’ reading choicesEveryone has a right to read what they want, and some enjoy vampires that sparkle. |
7. Call out the liarsCensors will often use words like “pornography” or “obscenity” to describe books that aren’t. John Green vehemently denies being a pornographer even though his book contains a sex scene. Be like John. |
8. Write! Share! Comment! Repeat! |
9. Sometimes you have to let the crazy pass you by and go with the flowAdulting is hard. Step 128: Do not engage with crazy* |
10. Host a partyYou don’t really need a good excuse to gather friends and eat food, but Banned Books Week is certainly a great one. Pinterest has a gazillion ideas. A couple of small tweaks would turn this firetruck birthday party into a “don’t burn books” party. And with Halloween coming up, costume shops will have lots of options for a “banned book character” party. Alice, Max or Tango would all be delightful fun. |
11. Don’t forget the decorations |
12. BE FREE“The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.” |
Bonus |
