The New York Public Library Announces Slate of New Programming for Banned Books Week

Learn more at TheCityLife.org

Episode Transcript

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At a time of record book challenges, the library will
stand against censorship and shine a light on intellectual
freedom with programs and eventsall week long.
The New York Public Library is marking Banned Books Week,
October 5th to 11th with an array of programming for our
patrons of all ages, including over a dozen events across

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branches. Highlights include a celebration
of queer Puerto Rican comics, a virtual team panel, and a Kids
live author talk. Zess Queer Puerto Rican Comics
Celebration, a joyful evening exploring the intersection of
Puerto Rican comics and queer identity, will be held at 53rd

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St. Library on October 9th, 2025 at
6:00 to 8:00 PM. It will feature author, activist
and educator Sharon Lita La Cruz, whose work has been
targeted for bands alongside comics creator Yvonne Velez,
Eliana Falconvsk and Mariella Figueroa.

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M said by drag queen and cosplayer Megamy.
Book giveaways will be availablefor in person attendees.
The library will also hold writing workshops with the new
Urican Poets Cafe and craft workshops focused on scenes and
bookmaking celebrating freedom of expression.
The New York Rican Poets Cafe events will be held at 67th

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Street Library and Riverside Library in Manhattan, Stapleton
Library in Staten Island and City Island Library and
Soundview Library in the Bronx. Zine workshops will be held at
Yorkville Library and Roosevelt Island Library in Manhattan,
Grand Concourse Library and HighBridge Library in the Bronx, and

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Saint George Library in Staten Island for young adults.
The Library will host a virtual teen panel, Banned Books Week
and Beyond on October 7th, 2025 at 4:00 PM, featuring teen
community organizers in discussion about the freedom to
read as well as how young peoplecan get involved in their

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communities and the causes they care about on October 6th to
11th. Young adults are also encouraged
to participate in posting stickynotes in branches or online
responding to the question, Whatdoes the freedom to read mean to
you? Young adults are also encouraged
to explore Issue 5 and Issue 3 of Teen Voices Magazine, The

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Library S free magazine by N forTeens, which are available
online. These issues feature the winners
of our national teen writing andart contests who share a teen
perspective in the fight for intellectual freedom for
children. The Library will host an author
Talk with Duncan Tonadia on October 7th at 3:30 to 4:30 PM.

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This Kids Live event will include a discussion of Tonedia
S book Separate is Never Equal, Sylvia Mendez and her family's
fight for desegregation, as wellas letter writing to Sylvia
Mendez about the importance of children being allowed to go to
school together. Livestreams of the author talk
will be hosted at a selection ofbranches including 125th St.

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Library, Parkchester Library, Allerton Library, Melrose
Library, Bloomingdale Library, and Jerome Park Library.
Learn more about this event here.
I'm proud to announce the library as commemoration of
Banned Books Week through wide-ranging programming for our
patrons across New York City. As essential community hubs and

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repositories of knowledge, libraries have an important role
to play in standing against censorship and supporting the
Open Access to information year round.
We are a destination for all readers to discover and exercise
the joy of learning one book at a time, said Brian Bannon
Merrill and James Tisch, director of branch libraries and

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education at the New York PublicLibrary.
Data from the American Library Association Allah found
challenges to book titles grew by 65% in 2023 compared to 2022,
reaching the highest level ever documented by the organization.
In 2024, Allah recorded challenges to 2452 unique

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titles, nearly nine times as many as the annual average of
273 titles for the period from 2001 to 2020.
Pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by
them initiated 72% of censorshipattempts during Banned Books
Week and beyond. New Yorkers are invited to

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access our diverse collections for free.
All you need is a library card. Apply for a library card online
or by visiting a local branch. About the New York Public
Library For over 125 years, the New York Public Library has been
a free provider of education andinformation for the people of

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New York and beyond. With over 90 locations,
including research and branch libraries throughout the Bronx,
Manhattan, and Staten Island, the library offers free
materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions,
programming, and more to everyone from toddlers to
scholars. The New York Public Library

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receives approximately 16,000,000 visits through its
doors annually and millions morearound the globe who use its
resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free
programming, the New York PublicLibrary relies on both public
and private funding. Learn more about how to support

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the library at NYPL. Org Support.