All three of the city’s library systems — New York, Brooklyn and Queens — joined bookstores, publishers and readers across the country Saturday to protest book bans.
Rallies and community events were hosted as part of Freedom to Read Day of Action, organized by Unite Against Book Bans. The organization says book bans and challenges reached an all-time high last year.
Many of the books in question are written by or about the LGBTQ community and people of color.
“We as a country, and I think a majority of people in this country, do feel that we have a right to read whatever we choose to read and that right is something that is worth protecting. As we are rolling into the election, we want are legislators and our representatives to have a deep understanding [of] the damage that book bans can do to people,” said Linda Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library.
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