#american library

[lindenardenshighlights]

books

GEBALLE FAMILY BALCONY (208)

An imaginative portrait of a nation, The American Library explores how ideas of citizenship, home, and nationalism acquire complex meanings. The work consists of six thousand books wrapped in Dutch wax-print fabric and embossed with the names of immigrants and migrants who have made a significant impact on American culture.

[greencreeker]

Seattle Public Library is doing this awesome program called Books Unbanned that allows teens and young adults (ages 13-26) access to their collection of e-books and e-audiobooks from anywhere in the USA. All you need to do is fill out a simple form and you get their Books Unbanned card. Please share this information far and wide. I know they're not the only ones to have done this, but the more the merrier!

[mysharona1987]

[daily-spooky]

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Neil Gaiman and Roz Kaveney at the British Library event Why We Need Fantasy 20.11.2023 :) ❤

Neil: I don't remember if it was you or John M. Ford, the late Mike Ford, who pointed out to me first that there is a thing that I do that I was not aware of doing. And it was.. and I remember this being pointed out to me at the time of the publication of American Gods. Or possibly even before it was published, when I sent it out a manuscript. Because it was pointed out to me that one way that you can tell that you're entering the third act of a Neil Gaiman story is there is always a kiss that sort of ends the second act. And it's never a sort of romantic kiss. It's always a kiss that is unexpected and a little bit wrong, but it symbolizes where we're going to go next.

Roz: Yeah, that was Mike, it's too smart for me.

Neil: That was Mike. And I remember arguing with him and then him pointing out that all the places I'd done it. And then I did it again in the Anansi Boys and didn't realize that I'd done it. And then I forget about this thing. And I saw somebody on Tumblr had found an interview with me from 2002 where I'm talking about this and the kiss, and they're like, 'Still doing it then'.

:)) Yep, Neil is still doing it :D <3 (this is the tumblr post)

You can watch the whole event here :).

[liyazaki]

via the Arkansas Advocate

it’s official: in Arkansas, library staff may now be charged with a Class D felony for providing books to their communities that are deemed “obscene”.

in Florida, school librarians and teachers can be criminally charged for checking out books to kids that dare to touch on LGBTQ topics & gender identity, thanks to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

book censorship in the US is at such an all-time high, book sanctuaries are popping up all over the country.

library staff aren’t physically safe, either. just over the past couple months, threats against libraries and their staff resulted in the temporary closure of “five public library systems due to bomb and shooting threats," ALA. active shooter trainings have become the new norm for me.

the censorship myself and my colleagues have been watching unfold over the last several years has felt like watching a slow-motion car crash.

but this bill? this feels like a death knell for my profession.

via Teen Vogue

when I was a confused queer kid growing up in an ultra-religious household, the library was my refuge. when I asked hard questions, librarians listened and gave me the tools I needed to answer them. in many ways, libraries saved my life. it's why I became a librarian.

I can't believe I'm living in times where future generations of kids may not have access to the same refuge I did, but it's happening.

if you live in the US and you care about protecting open, equitable access to information, please check out the American Library Association for anti-censorship resources in your state, info on contacting your representatives, etc.

you can also report censorship you see in your community and ALA will investigate (1-800-545-2433, ext. 4266; oif@ala.org).

I know this isn't my usual content, but libraries are standing on the edge of a horrifying precipice- one we can't escape on our own.

libraries are free society's canary in the coal mine, and all the alarms are singing. when libraries fall, nations usually aren't far behind.

this matters- and we need help.

[redgoldsparks]

Transcript below the cut.

instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

Panel 1: For the second year in a row, Gender Queer was the most challenged book in the US, reported the American Library Association.

Panel 2: It’s been a weird two years. Number of unique titles challenged in the US by year. 2000: 378 titles. 2005: 259 titles. 2010: 262 titles. 2015: 190 titles. 2020: 223 titles. 2021: 1858 titles. 2022: 2571 titles.

Panel 3: It’s been a hard two years. The ACLU is tracking 469 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US.

Panel 4: Usually I prefer to wait until something is over before I write about it, so I have time to reflect. But this experience has not ended.

Panel 5: It has only gotten louder. (A series of screen shoots of news headlines about Gender Queer, book challenges and an obscenity lawsuit against the book being dismissed in the state of Virginia).

Panel 6: I’m constantly wondering, “When should I speak and when should I let the book speak for itself?”

Panel 7: I remember when I realized that the previous most challenged book spent five years in the top five.

2020- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2019- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2018- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2017- Melissa by Alex Gino at #5 2016- Melissa by Alex Gino at #3

Panel 8: Oh, I think I can take my time figuring out how to respond. I think I’m in this for the long haul...

Panel 9: Ways to support libraries and challenged authors: Check out and read challenged books. Vote for and attend library board and school board meetings. Report censorship to the ALA and PEN America. Vote to fund libraries. Speak up against legislation limiting the teaching of queer history, sex ed, abortion and the history of racism in the US.

Panel 10: Most challenged books of 2022:

1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

4. Flamer by Mike Curato

5. (tie) Looking For Alaska by John Green

5. (tie) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

9. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

10. (tie) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

10. (tie) Crank by Ellen Hopkins

10. (tie) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

10. (tie) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

[huariqueje]

The Reservoir  -   Matt Bollinger , 2014.

American, b. 1980 -

Acrylic, flashe, and collage on unstretched canvas ,  100 1/2 x 141 in.

[lionofchaeronea]

Photographic half-length portrait of a Native American (Dakota) man named Sun Flower, taken by a photographer for Heyn Photo in 1899. Now in the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

[arc-hus]

Yale Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Connecticut, USA - SOM

[jstor]

As we observe Banned Books Week, we are reminded that literature has always been more than just words on a page—it’s a battleground for ideas, identity, and the stories we tell about who we are. In 1974, Kanawha County, West Virginia, became the stage for one of the most violent textbook protests in American history. What began as a debate over school curriculum turned into a larger conflict over whose voices should be heard and whose stories should be silenced.

The power of the humanities lies in their ability to expose us to a multitude of perspectives, to challenge us, and to broaden our understanding of the human experience. But that power is also why literature and education have often become sites of controversy. The humanities ask us to grapple with life as it is—not life as we wish it to be. In the face of efforts to ban books or limit access to certain narratives, it’s essential to remember that the stories we read, discuss, and even disagree with are the foundation of critical thought.

JSTOR Daily explores the 1974 textbook battle, highlighting how this clash over curriculum foreshadowed many of the cultural debates we continue to face today. The article underscores the enduring importance of intellectual freedom and the need to safeguard the humanities against efforts to restrict access to diverse voices.

Read the full story on JSTOR Daily.

Image: Women from Boston and Charleston, West Virginia, holding signs, demonstrating against textbooks, Washington, D.C., 1975, via LOC.

[queerliblib]

For Native American Heritage Month, we’ve put together a list of works highlighting queer & trans Indigenous voices! Check it out in your Libby App or at tinyurl.com/QLL-NAHM 🩷

[vintagehomecollection]

An easy, relaxed assemblage of furniture and memorabilia contributes to the restful atmosphere enjoyed in the home's inviting library.

Southern Interiors, 1988

[weepingwidar]

Brook Hsu (American, 1987) - Meet Me at the Library (2021)

[literatureaesthetic]

just finished 'east of eden', and the urge to write a wholeass dissertation on it is STRONG lmao. i'm so happy i decided to purchase 'grapes of wrath' earlier this week, i can't wait to explore more of steinbeck's brilliant mind 🤍