By introducing “The Banned Book Club,” a ground-breaking programme that gives people free access to books that have been outlawed in their communities, the Digital Public Library of America has taken a courageous stand for intellectual freedom. This programme makes use of technology to guarantee that every American can freely read the literature of their choosing, despite the surge in book bans and censorship that is knocking on libraries’ doors.
In areas across the country where books have suffered the unfair fate of being banned, The Banned Book Club establishes virtual libraries. Reading material that has been forcibly removed from local library shelves can now be explored and enjoyed by readers through the Palace e-reader app, providing a digital refuge for the suppressed literature.
Select “Banned Book Club” as your library after installation, then follow the on-screen instructions to create your free online library card. In no time, the entire canon of prohibited literature will be at your fingers.
Former President Barack Obama was one noteworthy person who gave admiration for The Banned Book Club’s announcement of its beginning. Obama expressed his support for the program’s efforts to promote intellectual freedom and protect the right to read without restriction on Twitter.
Targeting works that depict LGBTQIA+ groups and people of colour, this seeks to silence marginalised voices.
Speaking to USA Today, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, denounced these censorship tactics as attempts to silence groups who have historically been excluded from public discourse. Individuals and families should have the freedom to decide what they want to read, not “self-appointed book police.”
