Right to Read Day
Spring is filled with so many fun celebrations from Mardi Gras to Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day and now, Right to Read Day. These annual events are bringing me bits of comfort in these times of turbulence and uncertainty. I’m actually considering which green shirt I’ll wear to the dentist on Monday!
Right to Read Day takes place on Monday 7 April during National Library Week. The theme for the day is “Drawn to the Library.” This is a day to celebrate the work done to defend the freedoms found in libraries. The people behind Right to Read Day, Unite Against Book Bans, are suggesting meaningful activities that can be fun and engaging ways to connect with freedom fighters in our libraries who have had to endure all the stress brought on by challenges in their workplace.
- Send a postcard to your local library: remind your local librarians how much you appreciate and support their work. The Unite Against Book Bans website will have cards that can be downloaded and printed, or in keeping with the theme for the day, you might want to draw your own.
- Get a library card, check out and read a banned book. Be sure to tell your friends how much you enjoyed the book.
- Contact a decision maker whether they’re on your local library board or one of your congressional representatives. Let them know how much you appreciate the work libraries do to support our freedoms.
- Register to vote and begin tracking local candidates and issues.
- Join your local friends of the library association.
- Consider donating to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund which provides financial support for librarians facing discrimination or threats to their employment for defending intellectual freedom.
- Cupcakes are always a nice way to show gratitude. (I kinda added that one on my own)
There are quite a few more suggestions on the site, a variety of ways that you can work to make a difference.
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This work is community care, and taking care of our communities is how we take care of ourselves.
Filed under: Libraries & Schools, News & Features
About Edith Campbell
Edith Campbell is Librarian in the Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University. She is a member of WeAreKidlit Collective, and Black Cotton Reviewers. Edith has served on selection committees for the YALSA Printz Award, ALSC Sibert Informational Text Award, ALAN Walden Book Award, the Walter Award, ALSC Legacy Award, and ALAN Nielsen Donelson Award. She is currently a member of ALA, BCALA, NCTE NCTE/ALAN, REFORMA, YALSA and ALSC. Edith has blogged to promote literacy and social justice in young adult literature at Cotton Quilt Edi since 2006. She is a mother, grandmother, gardener and quilter.
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