BROOKLYN: The Public Library Is Offers Any American Teen A Free Library Cards And Access To Banned Books

NEW YORK CITY: The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) took a stand against growing censorship and book bans in announcing its "Books UnBanned Initiative" recently, providing young readers access to the library's full eBook collection.

The move comes amid increasing book bans across the country.

Last year, there were 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services.

That's up from 156 and 377 challenges reported to the American Library Association in 2020 and 2019, respectively, and the most since the organization began tracking such challenges in 2000.

More than a 1,500 books were banned in 86 school districts in 26 states across the United States between July 31, 2021, to March 31, 2022, a recent PEN America analysis found.

The Brooklyn library's initiative was inspired by the ALA's 1953 Freedom to Read Statement, which states that it is in the public's interest that librarians and publishers uphold, protect and preserve society's freedom to read -- as the freedom to read is essential to democracy.

The free electronic library card is valid for one year and provides readers from 13 to 21 years old access to the library's archive of 350,000 e-books; 200,000 audiobooks and over 100 databases, according to BPL's Books Unbanned website.

Teen and young adult library cardholders are encouraged to "share videos essays, stories and opinions on the importance of intellectual freedom," interact with the library's teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture, and get in touch with the library's Intellectual Freedom Teen Council to discuss the "impact that book challenges and bans have had on their lives," according to a library press release.