Hello hello! I'm Jazmyn, the Programs Manager for SBC––and we are so excited to recap our Banned Books Week Read-ins and celebrate the incredible communities that came together to fight censorship and protect the freedom to read

ICYMI: For the second year in a row, Silent Book Club teamed up with Libro.fm and independent bookshops and libraries to fight censorship and protect intellectual freedom together during Banned Books Week in October. Together, we staged 425+ Banned Books Read-ins at libraries and independent bookstores across the United States and abroad—even catching the attention of the Los Angeles Times!

Every month, Silent Book Club chapters gather to read quietly together. But during Banned Books Week, what our chapters were reading was the whole point. No one should tell you what you can and can't read, so participants brought their favorite banned book and showed up in solidarity with their communities.

As we've seen throughout history, it's community organizing and standing together as a collective that sparks change and moves people to act. It's one thing to share a love of books and believe that diversity of thought and narrative matters. It's another to take action and stand side by side as we imagine, and demand better futures.

We are so proud of our SBC community. In this post, we're celebrating some of the chapters that made it happen.

Chapter Spotlights 

SBC Banter Bookshop

Host: Amy | Location: Banter Bookshop in Fremont, CA

Banter paired silent reading with a postcard-writing session, and the combination was a hit. Amy told us:

"One of our takeaways from the night was that the combo of silent reading and post card writing lended itself to the perfect atmosphere for quiet concentration and focus, no matter which activity our attendees chose to pursue. Many in the group took the opportunity to engage in both aspects of the evening... And after the designated silent reading time we, of course, had a great time chatting and socializing while attendees shopped around the bookshop!"

SBC Münster 

Host: Aline | Location: Münster City Library in Münster, Germany

Our Banned Books Read-ins went global thanks to SBC Münster! Chapter host Aline wrote a guest post on our blog detailing how she united local book lovers, the Münster City Library, university partners, colleagues from neighboring municipal systems, and attendees of the Frankfurt Book Fair in celebration of the freedom to read.

SBC San Mateo Public Library 

Host: Elspeth | Location: San Mateo Public Library, San Mateo, CA

San Mateo's Read-in made the news! Mira, a staff writer at Carlmont High School's Scot Scoop, attended the October 10 event and wrote about it for her school paper. Elspeth stocked the room with donated copies of frequently challenged titles like The Outsiders, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Kite Runner, and attendees could read their own book, pick one from the table, or make buttons in support of the freedom to read. Her message to would-be censors, as quoted in the article: "you shouldn't have any say as to what I get to read."

Readers traveled to be there, too: one came from about half an hour away, and another crossed the Bay and said she came just for the free Libro.fm audiobook. Elspeth handed over the QR code, and she and her friend stayed and enjoyed the evening. This was Elspeth's second SBC special event, and she shared that her regulars have really enjoyed them.

SBC Juneau, AK

Host: Mimi | Location: Hearthside Books, Juneau, AK

SBC Omaha, NE

Host: Jessica | Location: The Bookworm, Omaha, NE 

SBC Emry’s Bookshop

Host: Emily | Location: Emry’s Bookshop, Hilton Head Island, SC

The Soundtrack

Every revolution deserves a soundtrack, right? We think so! Our co-founder Laura, SBC’s resident music lover and playlist curator extraordinaire, created an SBC playlist on Spotify where every track nods to a banned or challenged book author. We’re talking David Bowie’s "1984" and Julian King’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue.” 

Check out the full tracklist here!

Authors & Creators Who Showed Up

A huge thank you to the authors and creators who helped spread the word and read along with us: Kate Quinn, Ariel Sullivan, and Jennifer E Smith, Maia Kobabe, Book Girl Magic, Gays Reading, Juliet Faithfull, and Lucy Tan

If you missed it, don’t worry! You can catch all of their posts in our Banned Books Weeks story highlight on Instagram here. 

Thank You

To every host who organized a read-in, every reader who showed up with a challenged book in hand, and every library and indie bookstore that opened its doors: thank you! 

And of course, thank you to Libro.fm for standing with us for a second year. The freedom to read is worth protecting all year long, and we are ready to continue to show up with you.