WHO IS PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO READ?
Guest Speakers: Mary Ann Cluggish, Mass Board of Library Commissioners, and Jamie Jurgensen, Director, Wellesley Free Library
In keeping with the League of Women Voters of Wellesley's long-standing tradition of opening our program season with great topics that are important to all voters, we invited all to join us for this year's Opening Meeting and a chance to explore WHO IS PROTECTING YOUR RIGHT TO READ.
Across the nation, libraries are dealing with an increasing number of book challenges - demands to remove one or often multiple books from a library's collection, to prevent the books from being read or even accessed. The American Library Association reports a record number of 2,571 unique titles were challenged in 2022, a 38% increase from 2021. In Massachusetts, library disruptions and book challenges have quadrupled. The challenges are happening both in public and school libraries.
Libraries have long been a cherished resource for any person to find information on any topic. Who decides what materials are on the shelves in our local and school libraries? What is the role of the State in ensuring our right to read? Legislation has been filed in Massachusetts to help limit book challenges and book banning in our state.
On Wednesday, September 27, we learned more about the disturbing trend of book banning as well as what libraries and the State legislature can do about it.
Speaker & Guests:
Mary Ann Cluggish (Speaker) has dedicated more than 20 years to ensuring the freedom to access information in our libraries. She is a Former Chair and current member of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, on which she has served since 2011. Ms. Cluggish also served as a trustee of the Wellesley Free Library for 12 years and is currently a member of the Friends of the WFL.
Jamie Jurgensen (Guest) has worked in public, private and school libraries across the country for almost 30 years. She has been the Library Director of Wellesley Free Library for 8 years, where she and the WFL team of Trustees, librarians and paraprofessionals work to provide diverse materials, programs and services for the community.
Linda Chow (Guest) is a current LWVW member, serves on the Wellesley School Committee; a Town Meeting Member, previously Co-President of WMS PTO, and part of the Wellesley Education Foundation and Wellesley Scholarship Foundation.
This event was co-presented by League of Women Voters of Wellesley and Wellesley Free Library.
