“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.”—Sir Isaac Asimov
Visit and Be Heard!
If you are at the Conference, stop by the HUGE beach chair outside Exhibit Hall E today to have your voice and/or image recorded for this year’s Banned Books Celebration 2024 “Freed Between the Lines” September 22-28.
Sage, the ALA, the Banned Books Week Coalition, and Unite Against Book Bans together are providing a photo op and banned books to use as props for your video or photo. Videos are taken by a professional camera person and may be uploaded to the YouTube Banned Books Channel in support of the freedom to read. The photo op is open tomorrow 9-5pm so there is still time to stop by (they took a well-deserved lunch break today between about 1:30-2pm).
The Details…
Choose a book off their “banned books” shelf or bring a book of your own. Once you choose a book you can decide to be video taped reading a passage you choose OR you can just have them take a picture of you with your own phone. If you choose to be video taped, you will need to sign the waiver saying they can use your image for the campaign. Also, if you choose to be video taped, be ready to share why you picked the book you did. Psst! Don’t forget to return the book you borrowed to their shelf. On the way out, stop by the booth directly across from the photo booth to grab some Banned Book swag and advocacy materials.
Near and Dear To My Heart
I chose to hold the banned book Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl in my photo for many reasons. First, in my first year as a seventh grade English teacher in San Jose, California, I had a few parents refuse to let their students read the book for my class because they said the Holocaust “never happened.” That made quite an impact on me. Also, I chose this book in honor of all of the millions of people that lost their lives in the Holocaust and Holocaust survivor Mr. Bernard Marks. Mr. Marks was a remarkable man and friend who for many years came to my library to share his Holocaust survival story with our students and staff at Holmes Junior High in Davis, California. Though he is no longer with us, his words still ring in my ears reminding me we must never forget and that we must always speak up against the injustices we see.
Conference blogger, Sci Fi fan and lover of anything outdoors, Amy Power Labson is a Teacher Librarian in Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento. She is grateful for the learning opportunities conferences bring and is looking forward to returning to San Diego’s beauty.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.