Chicago Tribune Report: “As Attempts to Ban Books Across the Country Increase, Chicago Establishes ‘Book Sanctuaries’: ‘Encouraging And Alarming'”

From The Chicago Tribune:

Last week, city and Chicago Public Library officials declared Chicago a sanctuary city for those stories, by establishing “Book Sanctuaries” across the city’s 77 distinct community areas and 81 library branches. That entails a commitment to expand local access to banned or challenged books through library programming.

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Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown said, “Book bans threaten to silence the stories of people — most often from and representative of marginalized communities — and narrows the scope and diversity of the stories and perspectives we can share.”

The Book Sanctuary, he said, “aims to empower people everywhere to further demonstrate their support for books — and the people who love and protect them — by mobilizing action in their own communities.”

Brown invited Chicagoans to join by taking a pledge to create safe spaces for stories by launching their own book sanctuary at a library, classroom, coffee shop, public park or even a bedroom bookshelf.

The commitments include collecting and protecting endangered books, making endangered books broadly accessible, hosting book talks and events to generate conversation, including story times focused on diverse characters and stories, and educating others on the history of book banning and burning.

Brown said the Chicago Public Library’s facilities will be open to suburban readers: ”We have a role to make sure that our readers understand that they can always turn to us.”

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Direct to The Book Sanctuary

Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries