From the Maplewood Memorial Library and South Orange Public Library:
Banned Books Week 2023 is October 1 to 7! This year, our local libraries are partnering to raise awareness about efforts to restrict access to books and information.
Banned Books Week celebrates everyone’s freedom to read and highlights attempts to censor materials in public and school libraries. For over 40 years, Banned Books Week has brought together the entire book community — librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists, and readers of all types — in support of the freedom to read, learn and share all ideas.
Please join us at one or all of these special and timely events:
Banned Books: What They Are and Why It Matters, a panel discussion, will be held on October 3 at 6:30 pm at South Orange Library. Featured panelists will include Alison Macrina and Marietta Zacker. Co-sponsored by the Maplewood and South Orange Libraries.
Alison Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project. Alison started LFP in 2015 to organize and build community with other librarians who are dedicated to library values of privacy, intellectual freedom, social responsibility, and the public good.
Marietta Zacker has worked with books, authors, and illustrators throughout her career — studying, creating, editing, marketing, teaching, and selling. She supports independent bookselling, believes in libraries, and takes pride in her work as a Latina in the world of publishing She is co-owner of and literary agent at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency.
Teens at both libraries will undertake a weeklong drop-in letter writing campaign in support of the New Jersey Right to Read Act. Materials for the letters will be available at the South Orange Library and at Maplewood’s Hilton Branch. Middle school students will have a chance to play Banned Books Trivia at school during their lunch breaks.
Banned Books Read Aloud will take place on October 5 at 4 pm at Hilton Branch Library. At this open mic event, kids, tweens and families are invited to read aloud from their favorite challenged or banned children’s books. Presented in partnership with South Orange Public Library and SOMA Action.
http://www.mariettazacker.com/
https://libraryfreedom.org/team/alison-macrina/
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/S3907
