If you are a reader, and I’m guessing that’s how you got here, then you are probably aware that the book banning that is going on in this country has reached epidemic proportions, much worse than the McCarthy era of the 1950s and the Reagan resurgence in the 1980s. As a librarian, watching what is happening all over this country, especially in my state of Florida, taking award-winning books away from children and threatening teachers and librarians with prison, is just sickening.
If you believe that everyone should have access to books that interest them and that parents should make the decisions about what is appropriate reading material for their own children and not for everyone else’s children, then I hope you’ll read this Freedom to Read statement and sign on. Thank you.
The Freedom to Read Statement
Seventy years ago, leaders from across the literary world joined together in writing to condemn attacks on free expression. The statement at the heart of that endeavor, the Freedom to Read Statement, was authored by the American Library Association and Association of American Publishers over a period of several days. It begins with this timeless observation:
The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack.
A resurgence of attacks on the freedom to read again threatens our democracy. Calls for book bans, the adoption of unconstitutional legislation, and campaigns to criminalize the work of librarians, teachers, booksellers and other individuals for distributing materials protected by the First Amendment threaten our fundamental liberties.
Recognizing that the battle to preserve our freedoms is as old as the freedoms themselves, the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers have reconvened on this 70th Anniversary of the Freedom to Read statement to reaffirm its timeless message, joined by the Authors Guild and American Booksellers Association. Together, we recommit to the proposition that the freedom to read is essential to our democracy and the birthright of all persons regardless of their beliefs or political persuasion.
We invite Americans who believe in the freedom to read to sign onto our campaign.
https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/FreedomtoRead/
Prime Day is coming! Lots of great bargains heading our way. Reminder: Customers can only participate in Prime Day if they are Prime members! So try it free for 30 days…
Grab a Kindle! I followed Wirecutter‘s advice and got the “Kindle Paperwhite Kids” last year on Prime Day – it’s the same Kindle as the adults, but it comes with a nice black case/cover, a longer warranty, and no ads! And it’s 44% off; the price is down from $159.99 to $89.99! The storage of 8 GB is probably more than enough for anyone. I have over 6000 books on mine and have never had a problem adding more. (I have recently made it a habit to remove the download of the book as I finish reading it, just in case!)
Three Months of Free Kindle Unlimited! Even if you’ve tried it before (I did,) you can sign up again. Sweet!
Book News
I still have the World Book set my mom bought when I was in elementary school. My kids occasionally used it for homework. Most of the information is still good; how much has the information on the polio vaccine or the Revolutionary War changed? I’m sure quite a bit is outdated or ignores contributions by women or people of color – one can only hope this latest edition is more diverse and inclusive.
At this point, I keep it more for its sentimental value than anything else, plus no one wants it. You can find ads for free encyclopedias on NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace, etc., but no one really wants them, even for free. When I worked at the public library, people often donated encyclopedias and other old, moldy, mildewed books that went straight into the dumpster.
My personal favorite was in a phone call I took from a woman who had recently lost her husband. He had been a physician, and she wanted to donate his medical books, most from the 1930s. We respectfully declined.
The public library in my area does purchase a new set of print encyclopedias every year or two and houses them in the children’s section. They keep the previous edition on hand – the older set could be checked out, but the latest edition could only be used in the library. All of this is leading up to this article:
I just bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print, and I regret nothing: The still-updated World Book Encyclopedia is my antidote to the information apocalypse.
by Benj Edwards, ars TECHNICA
The Saga Over Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Russian Novel” Has an Uncomfortable Lesson—and It’s Not for Her
By Imogen West-Knights, Slate
Gilbert, or her publishers, or both, has decided not to go ahead with publication after all. When the book went up on Goodreads, it was flooded with one-star reviews from people who could not have read it yet. “While Ukrainians are dying from russian terrorists, famous authors are writing books about them and romanticizing these bastards,” one commenter wrote. There are 532 such reviews as of this writing.
https://slate.com/culture/2023/06/elizabeth-gilbert-snow-forest-russia-novel-ukraine-goodreads.html
And then there was this:
Food News
New York Times Cooking’s Recipe Emoji Line Invites Home Cooks to Make The Most of Fleeting Summer Produce
Need a recipe in a snap to make your summer produce shine? From June 21 – August 15, text a fruit or vegetable emoji to 361-COOK-NYT (361-266-5698) and receive free recipes from New York Times Cooking! This summer, New York Times Cooking is bringing home cooks inspiration around beloved summer produce and more, with a Recipe Emoji Line. From June 21– August 15, text any fruit or vegetable emoji to 361-COOK-NYT. In return, texters will receive a delicious free recipe, and will be guided to continue texting emojis for more free recipes. My only caveat is I haven’t found an emoji for the odd fruits or vegetables that show up in farm shares or co-ops, like dragonfruit, daikon, or kohlrabi!
Fun fact: As a New York Times Cooking subscriber, I’m entitled to gift two free recipes to friends and family (or my readers) each month. Please let me know if you are not a subscriber and would love a specific recipe from the NYT. I’m happy to share! For this month, I’ll share two of my favorites:
Other News
Serendipity is a funny thing. Did you watch the TV series “Modern Family?” You still can on Hulu. I recently ran across one of my favorite quotes from the show, which led me to think about it more than I have in years. I loved that show for most of the years it was on, starting with what I affectionately think of as the Lion King episode. (“Pilot,” Season 1, Episode 1):
Another memorable episode is also from Season 1, “Phil Gets an iPad,” (episode 19.) Watching it at the time felt like watching a commercial for the newly released Apple iPad, but in hindsight, it was almost prescient – Phil says, “oh, who’s ready for the first day of the rest of their lives!” Yep, I’m pretty sure a lot of lives were changed by the iPad. I know mine was. And in a weird coincidence, I now work at a university that is an Apple/iPad school. So maybe not a commercial but more a glimpse of things to come?
What started me on this topic was the quote I mentioned earlier. It’s from a conversation between Haley, the not-quite-bright daughter, and Alex, her much brighter sister:
Alex: Can you drop me off at the library?
Haley: Sorry. I’m meeting some friends
at that coffee shop on Lake.
Alex: You mean the one next to the library?
Haley: That’s a library? I thought it was a church
for a religion that didn’t allow makeup.
Corrigan, P., Walsh, B., & Wrubel, B. (Writers). Case, R. (Director). (2014, April 30.) Sleeper. (Season 5, Episode 21.) [TV series episode]. In Levitan, S. & Lloyd, C. (Executive Producers) Modern Family. 20th Century Fox
Now I know a lot of librarians took offense at that. I’m not sure why, to be perfectly honest. Maybe it hit a little too close to home? Since I’m one of the minority librarians who does wear makeup but have rarely worked with or seen many other librarians who do, I knew it to be mostly true and, therefore, funny. Even the younger generation of librarians coming up in the profession are not prone to wearing makeup. I have to add that the librarians I currently work with are pretty evenly divided, some wear makeup, some don’t, but all look professional. That has not always been my experience.
I hate to generalize, but I’ve been to several major librarian conferences over the years, like the American Library Association Annual Conferences, Public Library Annual Conferences, and local ones, like those sponsored by the Florida Library Association and the Southeast Florida Library Information Network (SEFLIN.) I’ve also done presentations at these and for library systems like the Palm Beach County Library System, the New York Library Association, the Kansas Library Association, and other groups. In other words, I have witnessed thousands of librarians – sans makeup.
Added bonus: there is always a booth or two at these conferences selling book/library-themed clothing or cat-themed clothing and accessories, and they usually have lines of librarians waiting to buy them. Buns and bobs are seen throughout the conference. Cardigans galore (I love them!) Glasses! Lots and lots of librarians in buns, cardigans, and glasses. All I’m saying is that stereotypes become stereotypes for a reason.
Does wearing makeup have any impact on a librarian’s work? Absolutely not. Most librarians love to help people find good information, which is more important now than ever, especially with the advent of generative AI and the misinformation and disinformation that is so easily spread. As Neil Gaiman said,
“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers; a librarian can bring you back the right one.”
Did you know that archivists are generally also librarians? They are a subspecialty of the Masters in Library and Information Science or Masters in Information Science degrees. There are also certificate and degree programs in archiving. I mention this because the National Archive has been in the news lately. When Trump was indicted in Miami in the Classified Documents Inquiry, a colleague said, “This is what happens when you fuck with archivists!”
Well said.
As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Thanks to The New York Times for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 
Are you ever going to offer again that Book Bitch t-shirt you had a number of years ago? I love her!!!
I’ll try!
Watching the news about all the book bannings in America is very unsettling. If I was an American I would be signing the statement. It has made me hyper-aware of any signs that it could be going to happen here