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Nashville Public Library launches Freedom to Read campaign




The Nashville Public Library has released a free, limited-edition “Banned Books” library card.Courtesy / Nashville Public Library

The Nashville Public Library has released a free, limited-edition “Banned Books” library card.Courtesy / Nashville Public Library

The Nashville Public Library on Thursday launched a special campaign dedicated to everyone’s Freedom to Read.

The library released a free, limited-edition “Banned Books” library card, setting a goal to get 5,000 cards into the hands of readers across Davidson County. An NPL card is the gateway to more than 2 million books and materials, including books that have been banned and challenged for potential banning in cities across the U.S.

“I want Nashvillians to know: Nashville Public Library will always respect your Freedom to Read — to independently determine what you read, and don’t read, and to exercise your role in determining what your children read,” NPL Director Kent Oliver said in a news release.

“This campaign is our way of bringing our community together in our shared Freedom to Read, which is essential to sustaining our democracy.”

Since the American Library Association began tracking challenges against books in the 1980s, the organization has recorded thousands of challenges made in cities across the U.S.

Most recently, McMinn County Schools in January removed Art Spiegelman’s acclaimed graphic novel “Maus” from the school district’s curriculum. Williamson County Schools in February removed Sharon Creech’s “Walk Two Moons.”

In contrast, 71% of readers oppose efforts to remove books from their local public libraries, according to an ALA survey of 1,000 voters and 472 parents of public school children. That poll includes Democrats (75%), Republicans (70%) and independent voters (58%).

How the campaign works

The card is free to all Davidson County residents, and existing card holders can upgrade to the new card at no additional charge.

Customers can sign up for their card on the library’s website or in person at any of NPL’s 21 locations.

The campaign ends Thursday, May 26.

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