Spring days are finally here!

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Spring weather is finally making its way to my city, and I couldn't be happier! I missed the birds singing (even though they like waking me up at 3 in the morning), the green grass, the blue skies, the sun. It's funny how long we can go without the sun, but how lovely it is to see it more than once a week again! 

(c) Faber and Faber, 2019

This month was crazy busy for me, but I took part in a book discussion for the poetry book Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky. The book has a plot that is good timing for the current war in Ukraine, but you may need to take breaks if the story is too much at once. April is also National Poetry Month, so I hope you enjoyed a poem, or two! 

You can always visit the official National Poetry Month website, hosted by the Academy of American Poets, where you can order a free poster designed by Marc Brown, the author of Arthur. You can also sign up for a free daily Poem-A-Day and enjoy some culture each morning, delivered straight to your inbox.

(c) HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2023

I also read Meg Cabot's The Quarantine Princess Diaries, which I have been waiting to read since...the quarantine in 2020 when Ms. Cabot was publishing short chapters each week to help us stop from going crazy staying inside. Her plot was well thought out and brought up good points and pandemic background, but that is one time I do not ever want to relive again. I did enjoy visiting Princess Mia's world, though, and cannot wait for a post-pandemic book to come! :)

Since this month was otherwise madness, I thought I would share some book/library tips and news:

• Starting tomorrow, May 1st, the OverDrive ebook application is shutting down, and you will need to upgrade to the newer version, Libby. 

• If you like to read newspapers and hate paywalls, try accessing the title through your local library's website. Many times, you will be able to read it for free outside of the library, or free while you are inside the library. 

• Reader's Digest also suggests using the free website 12ft.io to overcome paywalls. While it is right to support your local and national journalists, sometimes you just need a quick article or ran out of your free ones for the month. By navigating to this website, you do not have to download any software, just insert the URL of the article or website you are trying to access, then click on "Remove Paywall." Hopefully you will be able to access the site without issue!
  

• The Library of Congress named 25 recordings of popular songs to preserve, chosen based on "cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance." The Super Mario Bros. is the first video game theme to be chosen for this honor!

• If you have kids (or know one that likes to read), they may be interested in Andrew McMeel's Summer Reading Game!

I'm currently listening to the audiobook of Spare by Prince Harry. It is a lot more sad than I anticipated. I hope to catch up on more of my fun reading this next month after classes are over. What are you reading / look forward to reading? 

Until next time! Happy Reading!

Book Challenges and Resources

 Hi my fellow bookworms!

As I am in school, I wanted to bring to your attention the fact that libraries are currently undergoing many challenges, one of the larger ones being book challenges. As of 2022, the American Library Association ("ALA") reports that book challenges have nearly doubled since 2021. In fact, it has been at the highest reporting number since data about censorship in libraries was first collected more than 20 years ago. 

(c) 2023, Unite Against Book Bans, Shareable Graphic

Most recently, the Associated Press released an article detailing book bans and school restrictions, which the ALA reports then prompted a group of advocates in the library community to use this news as a platform to write letters to the editor supporting the freedom to read. National Library Week is from April 23, 2023 to April 29, 2023 this year, and you can help join the fight against censorship at your local library through a variety of different resources:

• Join the Unite Against Book Bans campaign and use their toolkit to become a voice in the campaign
  

• Report censorship to the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom ("OIF")
  

• Fight censorship through sharing social media tools, participating in webinars, providing support for library workers, or even checking out your state and local resources!
  

• Host a house party and talk about what is happening in your local area with resources from Unite Against Book Bans
  

• Join the Freedom to Read Foundation and read up on the legislative action that is actively occurring regarding book bans

(c) 2022, Unite Against Book Bans, Shareable Graphic

I hope that you will join me in the fight against censorship, even if it is a small action such as sharing an image on your social media or supporting your local library. We should all have the freedom to read what we choose for ourselves and have access to those materials.

Until next time - happy freedom to read!