

It is also worth noting that The New York Public Library’s Chatham Square branch previously did a program around the title earlier in 2022, partnering with the San Francisco Public Library and the New York City Department of Education to do a coast-to-coast Chinatown book club around Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Running from May 23 to June 26, the challenge launches during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and on the eve of LGBTQ Pride Month, contributing to robust efforts at all three library systems to celebrate and honor those who identify as part of those groups. The Banned Books Challenge is an effort to do just that: to make a statement against censorship and organized efforts to erase identities, and to connect New Yorkers with a book that they will not only enjoy, but can help develop understanding and empathy- the tools needed to fight ignorance and hate. we need your support to keep our stories on the shelves. I urge every one of you watching to educate yourselves. When the title won the National Book Award in 2021, author Malinda Lo referenced “opposition to our stories” in an emotional acceptance speech, highlighting the “pressure to remove books about people of color, LGBTQ people, and especially transgender people from classrooms and libraries. Her romance, along with red-scare paranoia, create a high-stakes situation that could cost Lily’s father his citizenship.

The story focuses on Lily Hu, a teenager living in 1950s Chinatown, who falls in love with another woman in an environment not friendly to LGBTQ relationships. Last Night at the Telegraph Club-a Penguin Random House title that explores issues of race and sexuality-has been the subject of such book banning efforts, including in Texas earlier this year. The books being challenged often focus on race, LGBTQ+ issues, religion, and history. This is more than double the challenges tracked in 2019. The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced that it tracked an “unprecedented” number of challenges to library, school, and university materials in 2021: 729 challenges to 1,597 individual books. The Banned Books Challenge is being launched as a statement against the growing national trend of book bans. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki.Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X.Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings.Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan.More information can be found at, /bannedbookschallenge, or
Brooklyn public library books unbanned free#
To get the city started, Brooklyn Public Library, The New York Public Library (which serves the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), and Queens Public Library are making one of the recommended books-popular YA title and 2021 National Book Award winner Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo-available with no waits via their free e-reader apps through June 26.Īdditional physical copies of the book-featured on The New York Public Library’s Best Books for Teens of 2021 list-will also be available systemwide some branches will also host book club discussions about the book specifically targeted at teens (as many banned and challenged books are YA titles, and teens have been particularly impacted by the isolation of the pandemic).

MAY 23, 2022-The City’s three public library systems are taking a stand against censorship with a new Banned Books Challenge: 10 banned or challenged books that expert librarians recommend New Yorkers borrow and read. To get the city started, the libraries are offering unlimited digital copies of National Book Award winner Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo through June 26 additional physical copies of the book will be available systemwide. New York City’s Public Libraries Make a Statement Against Censorship with NYC Banned Books Challengeīrooklyn Public Library, The New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library recommend 10 banned or challenged books for New Yorkers to borrow and read to fight censorship In response to recent efforts to ban certain books in some communities across the United States, the Library is making a selection of commonly banned books available to everyone-for free.īrooklyn Public Library has added its voice to those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. The New York Public Library stands by the right to read freely. Click the links below for more information, including a Banned Books Challenge for readers. New York City public library systems have instituted programs that provide access to banned and challenged books.
