Mark your calendars for October 11!
Last year, we held our inaugural Upscale Pub Crawl in recognition of Banned Books Week. Over 300 people purchased tickets, allowing them to receive a discounted drink from select downtown pubs and learn more about banned books from Library Foundation representatives at each location. Attendees enjoyed a fun evening while helping RCLF continue to support library initiatives!
Banned Books Week 2023 will be October 1-7 and the Second Annual Upscale Pub Crawl will be held on Wednesday, October 11.
Book banning in school libraries has increased nearly 30% in the last semester of the 2022-2023 school year. Banning occurs when an individual or group challenges a book it perceives as inappropriate. PEN America, the nonprofit free-speech organization, found 1477 instances of prohibited books during the first half of this academic year. Legislation passed in some states has caused some educators to remove all books in school libraries or classrooms for fear of going against the often-ambiguous laws. Banning also occurs in public libraries, and some counties have threatened to withhold library funding if challenged books are not removed. Texas has the highest number of bans, followed by Florida, Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina.
Plan to join us on October 11 to learn about banned books and have some fun while supporting the Library Foundation. Click here for more information and tickets.