Last year, the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) launched a new campaign, titled Books Unbanned, to help teens combat the negative impact of increased censorship and book bans in libraries across the country. For a limited time, they noted, young adults ages 13 to 21 nationwide, will be able to apply for a free eCard from BPL, unlocking access to the library’s extensive collection of eBooks.
To apply for the card, teens can send a note to BooksUnbanned@bklynlibrary.org, or via the Library’s s teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture. The $50 fee normally associated with out-of-state cards will be waived. Teens are encouraged to share videos, essays, and stories on the importance of intellectual freedom and the impact that book challenges and bans have had on their lives.
This came up recently in the ongoing saga of an Oklahoma teacher. Summer Boismier was a teacher at Norman High School who drew flak for covering some books in her classroom with the message "Books the state doesn't want you to read." Apparently even worse, she posted the QR code for the Brooklyn Public Libraries new eCard for teens program.
Oklahoma is a unique place to be a teacher. I have a lot of friends there, and there was I time I was tempted to move to quaint Guthrie, Ok. But, I’m glad that I didn’t given the state’s recent changes to their Ed Code, and laws governing what can / can’t be discussed in the classroom.
Yet, I never though it would get as bad as it has. The events surrounding Boismier attracted plenty of attention, and so, Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters popped up to put his two cents in via a letter that he posted on Twitter.
In the letter, he called for Summer Boismier (yes, he called her out by name) to have her teaching license revoked. "Ms. Boismier's providing access to banned and pornographic material is unacceptable."
The letter also includes this line: “There is no place for a teacher with a liberal political agenda in the classroom.”
Meanwhile, after Walters tweeted out her name and his non-reality-based accusations, Boismier has endured a flood of vulgarity and death threats. And people wonder why there’s a teacher shortage …
I’m speechless by everything teachers are having to endure today and wonder-will schools be closed because they can’t hire teachers? 😡