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Posts Tagged ‘censorship’

Freedom to Read

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , on October 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Oh look, it’s Banned Books Week in the US.

Banding Together for Banned Books Week 2026

Banned Books Week, taking place October 4–10 this year, concentrates and amplifies the messaging of right to read organizations. Libraries, bookstores, and literary associations are hosting in-person and virtual events, featuring authors, educators, and advocates.

Interested in examples of books that have been banned this year?  Here’s a list: Banned Books List 2026 – PEN America

In the near future, Offred is a handmaid in an authoritarian society who is not permitted to read. We’ll let that sink in.

And if you are a teenager in a library system that is banning books, Books Unbanned is for you.

A Books Unbanned library card gives teens across the United States free digital access to ebooks and digital resources, including banned and challenged books—no matter where they live. Books Unbanned helps ensure teens can read what they like, explore new ideas and form their own opinions.

Whether you support your local library, attend an event, read a book that’s been challenged to see what You think, or something else entirely, I hope you take a moment to appreciate the right to read without censorship. Because that benefits us all!

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Photo by Ravi Sharma on Unsplash

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Not Today!

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Those of us who support libraries, freedom, and history may find this project as fascinating as I did: The Uncensored Library.

There are a lot of ways to preserve information now, and to send a message to the future. As I mentioned here a few years ago, you can write a letter to be delivered later with FutureMe. You could bury a time capsule and register it with the International Time Capsule Society. I even wrote a story about a woman facing down the end of humanity by preserving some of its most beautiful creations for the next intelligent race.

Reporters Without Borders took a different approach. They created a virtual library inside Minecraft. Before you laugh, it’s hard to think of a better place to store and disseminate uncensored information than the world’s best-selling video game.

Providing access to independent information to young people around the world through a medium they can playfully interact with.

Here’s to knowledge, and to our future.

“We cannot shut the windows and pull down the shades; we cannot say, “I have learned all I need to know; my opinions are fixed on everything. I refuse to change or to consider these new things.” Not today. Not any more.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

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Original photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash

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Don’t Stop Believing

Posted in Other, Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A couple of years ago I wrote about NASA’s excellent graphic novel encouraging folks to imagine themselves on the moon: First Woman: Dream to Reality.

There was a second issue, too, called First Woman: Expanding Our Universe. Both were free and available to the public on NASA’s site. (Which makes sense, because NASA is paid for by US tax dollars, including mine.) Sadly, both have now been removed.

But good news, aspiring explorers! As highlighted over at Space.com, both issues are still available via that bastion of awesome, The Wayback Machine:

Calliefirst – NASA

Issue #1: Dream to Reality follows Callie’s trailblazing path as the first woman on the Moon. Callie and her robot sidekick, RT, overcome setbacks, disappointment, and tragedy along the way. From her childhood dreams of space travel to being selected as an astronaut candidate, Callie takes us on her journey to the Moon.

I don’t always take the time to update older links, but I thought this one was important.

Because if humanity stops inspiring the next generation, humanity stops.

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NASA, via The Wayback Machine

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