Stamford Delegation to Host Roundtable Discussion Addressing Book Bans and Support for Public Libraries

STAMFORD, CT – On Thursday, April 13 from 6 pm-7:30 pm at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, the Stamford Delegation will host a panel discussion entitled “Book Bans and the Role of Public Libraries,” to address the rise of book bans across the country and ways to support our public libraries, alongside president of the Connecticut Library Association Douglas Lord and moderated by Donn Reid. Ferguson Library is a book sanctuary for endangered works of literature.
 
What: Book Bans and the Role of Public Libraries: A panel discussion, including public comment, on the prevalence of book bans and what Connecticut will do about it
Where: Ferguson Library, 1 Public Library Plaza, Stamford, CT
When: Thursday, April 13 6-7:30
Who: 

• Moderated by Donn Reid
• 2022-2023 president of the CT Library Association Douglas Lord
• State Senator Ceci Maher
• State Senator Pat Billie Miller
• State Representative Hubert Delany
• State Representative David Michel
• State Representative Rachel Khanna
• State Representative Corey Paris
• State Representative Matt Blumenthal
• Michael Hyman of The Equity Institute

 
Background on Book Bans: The American Library Association (ALA) recently reported last year there were 1,269 attempts to ban books across the country, a sizable increase from the 729 in 2021. Last year, Texas banned 801 books from July 1 2021-June 30, 2022 according to Statista. Florida banned 560 books and Pennsylvania banned 457 last year as well. According to PEN America, Between August and November, Missouri banned nearly 300 books in at least 11 school districts. These bans are targeted specifically at books regarding the LGBTQ community and communities of color. According to PEN America, “more than 40% of the banned titles address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer themes or have prominent queer characters.” Per Statista, “40 percent of banned titles featured protagonists or other key characters of color.”
Background on Legislation to Create Sanctuary Libraries Throughout CT Via Senate Bill 2: Per the proposed legislation, “SANCTUARY LIBRARIES allow a municipality to designate its principal public library as a ‘sanctuary public library’ and makes these libraries eligible to receive certain state library grants. By law, a municipality may have multiple public libraries, but its governing board must designate one as its principal public library. The bill allows a municipality to also designate its principal public library as a “sanctuary public library,” which means that the library does the following:

• Makes available and lends books that have been banned, censored, or challenged by a person, organization, or entity and any related library materials and
• does not prohibit or otherwise limit the availability of books or related library materials by banning, censoring, or challenging them.

In doing so, the bill extends eligibility for annual state operating, equalization, and incentive grants to these sanctuary public libraries. Under current law, the State Library Board appropriates funds to each principal public library. After appropriating each library a $1,200 base operating grant, the board uses 60% of the remaining funds for equalization grants and 40% for incentive grants to the libraries. The bill limits eligibility for incentive grants to only sanctuary public libraries instead of any principal public library, as under current law.” Senate Bill 2 was voted out of the Committee on Children and awaits further action in the state Senate. Read the bill in its entirety here.