It’s National Library Week, so I’ve been thinking a lot about knowledge and the idea that knowledge should be readily available – for all. An informed populace is crucial to the health of the nation and a bulwark of democracy. The ability to think, to reason, to avoid being fooled, all these notions are tied to reading and easy access to the wisdom of the ages.
And this is exactly why libraries – and their contents – are under siege these days.
HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery recently told readers:
“Librarians are living in constant fear. They have become the targets
of Republican politicians and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty
Liberty that are hellbent on burning books about LGBTQ+ people,
people of color and racism. Some librarians are quitting their jobs
because of constant harassment; others are getting fired for
refusing to clear shelves of books that conservatives don’t like.”
If that’s not bad enough – and it is – Bendery informs us there’s another evil twist in the tale: “The GOP’s censorship campaign has shifted from book bans to legislation threatening librarians with jail time.” Idaho’s tried several times to enact such legislation; this February, West Virginia passed a bill “making librarians criminally liable if a minor comes across content that some might consider obscene.” Idaho, Iowa, Alabama, and Georgia are also considering various means of keeping books they don’t like off the shelves...and they’re not alone.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shared some frightening statistics: “The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.”
Given these ever-more-frequent, ever-more-strident attacks, what can a concerned reader do to stem the tide of book-banning?
PEN America, an organization whose mission “is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible,” offers a number of ways to make one’s voice heard. Whether you’re a student, a parent, an author, or a librarian, PEN America provides advice, assistance, and resources to keep you informed and ready to push back.
The need to support the nation’s libraries is more urgent than ever. In Bendery’s HuffPost piece, American Library Association President Emily Drabinski draws a chilling conclusion: “What gets lost in conversations about book banning is that it’s really about eliminating the institution of the library, period. It’s not about the books. Well, it is about the books, but the books are the way in to gut one of the last public institutions that serves everyone.”
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture,” Ray Bradbury once said. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
Bradbury was one of the 20th century’s finest fabulists, the author of The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the worldwide blockbuster Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1952, the novel Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future where books are illegal and firemen don’t put out fires – they start them. Printed matter is what they burn.
Bradbury was writing in the tense, paranoid early years of the McCarthy era. But he might as well have penned those words last Thursday.
Support your local library. Speak up for the voices the hate-mongers would shut down. Before – as history’s proven again and again – they try to shut down yours.
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Students fight a book ban by giving away free banned bookswww.youtube.com
The New York Public Library has also weighed in on the matter, you can find its suggestions here.
Why Aaptiv Is The Best Fitness App During Pregnancy
Being pregnant is unreservedly an incredible experience - knowing that you go about your usual day-to-day while growing a baby inside of you is extraordinary. I'm currently 33 weeks along and I cannot wait to finally meet our baby. I have definitely been that girl that has milked being pregnant for everything it's worth - like eating for two. However, from 14 weeks to 18 weeks, I put on a whopping 10 pounds that was honestly mostly all avocado toast rather than baby. My OB warned me that while it was completely normal to put on weight, it wasn't normal to let it get out of control.
Prior to getting pregnant, I was a daily runner, but once I got the good news I completely stopped, mostly because I was afraid of getting my heart rate up too high and potentially putting the baby at risk. While walking out of the doctor's office, another woman, who must have been close to 40 weeks along, overheard me talking to my husband about my concerns. She stopped me on my way out to rave about this fitness app she had been using to workout during her pregnancy called Aaptiv. She looked great so I didn't hesitate to download it and see what it was all about.
Aaptiv offers guided audio fitness classes for every fitness level, taught by certified personal trainers. After I signed up for a trial, I was excited to find there were pregnancy workouts that were not only organised by trimester -- but they even had them organised by the week! There are four classes per week, two of which are cardio and the other two are strength training. I was 18+3 when I downloaded the app so I started with "Week 18: Build It Up" with Jaime. The class was set to a fun, upbeat Pop music playlist and the workouts were focused on upper body and core. Jaime guides you throughout the whole workout and makes sure to inform you of the modifications you can make to stay safe. Personally, my hips have been out of whack, so I always make sure to listen to her recommendations so I don't strain them even more.
It's been about 3 months since I started working out with Aaptiv and while I have gotten loads bigger, I've been able to keep up with the workouts every week. The trainers do a brilliant job at understanding the new struggles that pregnancy brings each week, and at tailoring every workout perfectly to them. This has probably been the biggest benefit I have found while using the app. Aaptiv doesn't lump pregnancy under one giant umbrella like some other programs - they understand that your body evolves on a weekly basis and so the workouts are very focused around this. Also, the program is very comprehensive and offers much more than the usual stretching. Even with knowing your body is always changing, you really do feel like you're getting in a great workout, despite the natural physical hurdles.
I've been recommending this app to all my friends who are currently pregnant or have just had babies. I've even taken a look at some of the last classes in this program and noticed that they have stroller workouts for new moms. I don't know what I'd do without Aaptiv, because it's been such a great tool to keep me healthy throughout this journey.