First published on June, 25th 1953, The Freedom to Read Statement begans with a forthright declaration: “The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack.”
Seventy years later, the freedom to read continues to be an issue. In the past year, more than 60 states have brought forth bills that would restrict what Americans can read. According to American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP), “Many of these efforts are unquestionably unconstitutional and would impair the First Amendment rights of readers of all ages.”
As threats of censorship continue to target libraries, schools, publishers, authors, and booksellers, the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) have put out a call to all members of the book community to reaffirm their commitment to The Freedom to Read Statement.
The Authors Guild, the American Booksellers Association as well as numerous authors have already done so. As reported by AP News, authors Cheryl Strayed, Carl Hiassen, Ibram X. Kendi,Judi Moreillon and Salman Rushdie have all committed to the pledge, and each day more and more invested parties join #FreedomToRead.
As reported by Publisher’s Weekly, Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the ALA; Allison Hill, CEO of the ABA; Maria Pallante, president and CEO of the AAP; and Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild shared in a joint statement, “To be clear, not every expression of authorship will withstand the rigorous and sustained scrutiny of the marketplace of ideas, but our free society requires that we have the right to make up our own minds about what we choose to read and what we think of what we’ve read. As our predecessors stated in 1953, ‘Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.'”
An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in education, emergency response, fitness, loves to be in nature, traveling and exploring. With an honours science degree in anthropology, Angela also studied writing after graduation. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.