Notes
So now that more people are aware of the upcoming onslaught from Kirk Cameron and Brave Books on August 5, what can you do?
It’s pretty straightforward. If you see your library is one hosting an event–Brave Books is listing them right on their website–then you should tell them. You can reach out to the director of the library or to someone on the board and let them know they’re being pulled into what might be an ugly situation. If they choose to go ahead, they need to prepare with extra security, both for the event and for the rest of the library.
When you reach out, you can direct them to my piece at Book Riot, published last month. It lays out the purpose of this “national storytime” and the underhanded ways this publisher and individual have been trying to weave themselves into US public libraries.
In the Chicagoland area, two libraries already appear on the list of approved storytimes. I have personally reached out to one, and I’ve had a colleague reach out to the other. If those libraries choose to move forward with the events, that’s their decision; however, we should be prepared to have protesters come to support library workers and users who are not interested in this right-wing, christofascist agenda and the ways this “storytime” are being portrayed as library events, as opposed to private opportunities to sell Kirk’s books.
