#BPL my beloved

[quasieli]

[Image description: Five images about the banning of books in US schools. The first three images are screenshots of Facebook posts. The first post reads "My heart is broken for Florida students today as forced to pack up my classroom library. Due to the new law that went into effect on December 31st all Manatee Teachers must remove all books that have not been "vetted" by the state or risk being charged with a third degree felony and losing our license. This applies to both public and government funded charter schools.

The vetting process for new books is cumbersome, so even accepting donated books from parents and community members will not be allowed. The process of finding the list of approved books is also incredibly difficult.

So, please, no matter what side of the debate you're on, if you don't agree with this, contact your representatives! We are losing teachers at an alarming rate and this will make matters even more grave."

The second image is accompanied by a photo of a bookshelf turned to face the wall. The post reads "This is the bookshelf in my daughter's classroom in Florida. She is in her 11th year of teaching Civics (yes, Civics!). Effective today, it must be turned toward the wall until emptied of her personal classroom library, most of which supplement her classroom material. If a parent complains about the content of any of her books, it could lead to a third degree felony charge against her.

How does this possibly inspire any student to stretch beyond the basics?

Yes. I am mad! And so are her students. The students have initiated a letter-writing campaign to their state legislators and their governor. They inspire me!"

The third image is accompanied by a photo of a colorful classroom library filled with books for younger kids. The post reads "Farewell, classroom library. We'll see you soon, I promise. #SaveOurLibraries #TrustTeachers #readersareleaders #desantass #florida As an educator, I have spent the past 18 years of my life dedicated to providing students with quality literature. Helping them connect with books and develop of love of lifelong learning. Receiving notice today that classroom libraries are to be dismantled is a travesty to education, the future of our children and our nation."

The fourth image is a tweet by @Goodable and it reads "The Brooklyn Public Library has announced that any teenager in America is now eligible for a Brooklyn Public Lirary card. Teens can sign out ebooks + audiobooks from wherever they live. The move is designed to combat censorship, with some titles listed as "always available."

The fifth image is a screenshot from Brooklyn Public Library's website. It is titled "National Teen BPL eCard" and the post reads "For a limited time, individuals ages 13-21 can apply for a free BPL eCard, providing access to our full eBook collection as well as our learning databases. To apply, email booksunbanned@bklynlibrary.org.

BPL's eCard is always free to teenagers in New York State. Apply here." End description.]

[jargirls]

i picked up a john lennon biography from the library and when i got it from the holds shelf the book DIRECTLY next to it was the catcher in the rye

either a librarian with an awesome sense of humor was fucking with me or this is an omen and i will die in the next 5-7 business days

[librarycards]

In the spirit of my beloved URL, I wanted to share this resource from the Brooklyn Public Library. Through their Books Unbanned program, young people ages 13-21 can send them a quick email for free access to an e-card. Info is at the link above.

They provide a service for recommendations if you're not sure what you want to read. Longtime followers know I love providing book recs, so here are some books to check out if you're just now getting your Brooklyn Public Library card.

Art Spiegelman, Maus

Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison, Beloved

Malinda Lo, Ash

Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House

Mariko & Jillian Tamaki, This One Summer

Cherie Demaline, The Marrow Thieves

Alison Bechdel, Fun Home

Mikki Kendall, Hood Feminism.

Aiden Thomas, Cemetery Boys

Leah Johnson, You Should See Me in a Crown

Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis

Meredith Talusan, Fairest.

This is just a tiny sampling of the books available to you, drawn from BPL's banned/challenged book lists. But the cool thing about a library card is that it affords you a limitless array of books and other media, objects, and space to learn, grow, and resist the christofascist scourge of censorship.

[allyciosa]

🎉Today was awesome! Seeing my beloved💙 @ChelseaFC in #bpl ,💙 my Mumbai Indians @mipaltan in the #IPL and a team I really admire @Realmadriden in @LaLiga all seal the deal today was epic. #Champions