Book Bans.
Literacy.
Censorship.
There
is a lot at risk today for our nation’s readers. You need to be informed,
empowered, and supportive of organized efforts to stop fringe groups’ and the
government’s meddling into which books are available to be read.
Below
are three organizations that do terrific work. Join them and show your support.
Get updated on what is really going on out there – and tell others – so that we
don’t just sit by while book Nazis ruin our great nation.
1. JOIN
& HELP www.EveryLibrary.org
EveryLibrary is the first and only national political action committee for libraries. We are a gold-rated non-profit organization that helps public, school, and college libraries secure new funding through tax and advisory referendum, bonds elections, negotiations with school boards, and advocacy at municipal, state, and federal levels. Our primary goal is to ensure stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come. We are a registered non-profit in the state of Illinois and have received 501(c)4 designation by the IRS as a social welfare organization. EveryLibrary welcomes contributions from individuals, corporate, union, and political donors to advance our work.
What We Do
EveryLibrary is the
first and only national organization dedicated to building voter support for
libraries. We are chartered “to promote public, school, and college
libraries, including by advocating in support of public funding for libraries
and building public awareness of public funding initiatives”. Our primary work
is to support local public libraries when they have a referendum or measure on
the ballot, to support school librarians in crisis through our SaveSchoolLibrarians.org initiative,
and to build a national network of Americans who will take action to create a
better future for library funding at all levels of government. In each
campaign, EveryLibrary engages with the local library community to determine
our best type of involvement.
Coalition Work
EveryLibrary is a
non-partisan, pro-library organization with an alignment toward sustaining
libraries as they evolve and grow in the 21st century.
EveryLibrary is a coalition partner with other organizations, associations, and
non-profits that seek to support libraries through public awareness and
advocacy. We are dedicated to working in coalition with other national and
state-level library, museum, and archives stakeholder organizations. We are
ready to stand alongside and in support of other national organizations and
bring our network of Americans to these coalitions.
How You Can Help
EveryLibrary puts
donor funding to work in three ways: directly on local library campaigns - for
both public libraries and school libraries; on building our national reach as
an advocacy organization for libraries; and on staff and projects that run the organization.
As the only national 501(c)4 for libraries, we are able to “bundle” small
donations from around the country and send it to local Vote Yes committees
where it’s needed. All our consulting services for libraries - and for Vote Yes
committees - are offered pro-bono and without any chargebacks, fees, or other
back-end financial arrangements. All of our work with school librarians in
crisis is likewise pro-bono. When we need to travel to a community, local
libraries - sometimes through the local Friends or Foundations - reimburse
actual travel expenses so our pro-bono consulting work goes farther. Our donor
support allows us to waive travel costs for library communities that can’t
afford it.
What are Donations Used For?
Donations are used for
voter awareness campaigns and helping local library ballot committees win at
election time. We dedicate a portion of each contribution to actively reach the
American public and local stakeholders through paid social media
advertising. EveryLibrary uses a portion of contributions to cover
overhead, staffing, and development or acquisition of voter awareness tools and
campaign materials. Donations by individuals, corporations, and unions to
EveryLibrary are not generally tax-deductible but may be under certain circumstances.
Please consult your tax advisor for more information.
2. JOIN & HELP https://www.ftla.org/
Freedom
to Learn Advocates was founded to promote universal access to books and
educational resources for all communities regardless of race, economic status,
religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political affiliation.
Our
mission is to resist initiatives that aim to limit access to books and
information, often in the form of book banning policies, which in recent years
have been on a troubling rise across our country.
We
work to support organizations and public policy that share our ideals, strive
for equitable education, and believe that individuals and families should be
trusted to decide for themselves what to read and learn.
THE PROBLEM
In
2021 alone, the American Library Association tracked an unprecedented 1,597
individual book challenges, up significantly from previous years. Attempts to
ban books in the United States aren’t new, but such a dramatic rise is alarming
and should sound a warning to citizens who champion our Constitution.
The
freedom to learn should not be politically divisive. Unfortunately, book
banning has become a politically advantageous issue. An organized and
aggressive push to expand the scope of dangerous laws and regulations is
already underway, so we must act now.
Recent
challenges primarily target books that deal with race and LGBTQ issues. We
believe that everyone, but especially vulnerable and historically marginalized
members of society, should have access to books that address diverse points of
view. Intellectual freedom and free speech are the bedrock of American society
that makes positive change possible.
That
is why Freedom to Learn Advocates and its allies are dedicated to ensuring that
books and quality education are available to every member of society.
Book
bans harm communities. In fact, a recent poll shows that the overwhelming majority
of respondents across the political spectrum oppose book bans. It’s clear that
parents support the right to decide for themselves what their children should
read. However, certain well-funded organizations have ramped up their efforts
to get books removed from schools and school libraries. But the threat doesn’t
stop there. With recent surges in book challenges even our public libraries are
at risk. As frightening as it may sound, librarians could be charged with
crimes for stocking shelves with books unpopular with some. Thankfully the
Supreme Court’s rulings have so far been clear: books are not crimes.
Some
argue that banning books protects children. At Freedom to Learn Advocates, we
believe that restricting access to information does more harm than good and,
rather than protect children, sets them up for failure. Students themselves
have courageously resisted book banning and testified that books, more than
simply entertainment, can save lives. Books are not the problem, censorship is.
Freedom
to Learn Advocates believes that more access is needed, not less. Books provide
opportunities for quiet reflection and insight into other peoples’ experiences,
enabling parents and teachers to engage in meaningful discussions with young
people. Books help our children become better adults and our communities become
more engaged, empathetic, and equitable.
3. GET ACTIVE! American
Booksellers Association
Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week 2023 will take place October 1 to October 7
Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community and is typically held each year during the last week of September. Today, Banned Books Week coverage by mainstream media reaches an estimated 2.8 billion readers.
This year's theme is Let Freedom Read,
more details and assets for the digital kit will be released over the next few
weeks.
Physical Kit
The form to receive a Banned Books Week
kit is now closed. For
those who were not able to fill out the form by the deadline will have access
to our digital kit assets in the coming weeks.
Banned Books Week kits are sent annually to
participating stores and include materials to decorate your store and educate
customers about the freedom to read. Supplies are limited and are fulfilled on
a first-come, first-served basis. We ask that each bookstore branch fill out
its own form. Online-only stores and international stores are NOT eligible to
receive kits.
Digital Kit
Customer
Engagement/Program and Event Ideas
Banned Books Week Hashtags
A list of hashtags associated with this year’s
event are: #BannedBooksWeek, #bannedbooks, and #bannedbookslist.
To learn more, visit www.bannedbooksweek.org.
Need
Book Marketing Help?
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning
blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their
story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of
experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him
be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
Read This!
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/what-helps-authors-get-media.html
Book Trends Coming Out of the London
Book Fair
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-trends-coming-out-of-london-book.html
Impressions Of My
First London Book fair
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/impressions-of-my-first-london-book-fair.html
Avoid These Book Marketing Mistakes
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/avoid-these-book-marketing-mistakes.html
What Is The New Media Landscape For Authors?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/what-is-new-media-landscape-for-authors.html
Blog Posts That Sell Books
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/blog-posts-that-sell-books.html
The Book Ban Conundrums
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-book-ban-conundrums.html
Is American Media In Severe Decline
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/is-american-media-in-severe-decline.html
Why Don’t More People Read Books?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/why-dont-more-people-read-books.html
Book Culture Wars Are Fierce!
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-culture-wars-are-fierce.html
What’s
The Media Looking For?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/whats-media-looking-for.html
About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter
@theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and
raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and
Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer
and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with
many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a
panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA,
Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction
Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland)
Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News
(Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The
Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult:
www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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