Banned Books USA: New site sends banned books to Florida residents for free, plus postage
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Book banning continues to surge across Florida and parts of the U.S., but more people are stepping up to ensure that students and parents who want access to challenged books can easily get them. Now, if you live in Florida, you can get one mailed to you just for the cost of postage.
BannedBooksUSA.org launched Oct. 11 to allow anyone to send a Florida resident a book from a list of over 600 titles that have been challenged, removed or banned from Florida schools and libraries for free.
"Book banning throughout history has been a horrific practice against the fundamental freedoms the United States was founded on,” said co-founder Paul English in a release. “These bans mirror the attempts made by repressive regimes throughout history who try to control the thoughts of, and information provided to, their citizens. Individuals should be given the trust to read any book and make their own judgments. When I heard that some communities have started to ban an edition of The Diary of Anne Frank and many other crucial pieces of literature, I was outraged.”
Books will be sent out as long as the site has the funds to keep going. One dollar from every order will be donated to the Florida Freedom to Read Project.
No need to ban: 7 ways to find out and guide what your child is reading
How does Banned Books USA work?
Go to BannedBooksUSA.org.
Look through the list and click on a book you're interested in to see a description.
When you choose one, click on Get This Book and fill in your information. You'll be charged $3.99 for shipping.
Are there any limitations to ordering books from Banned Books USA?
Only one book per order.
You must provide a Florida address for delivery and if you're ordering it for someone else, that person must have agreed to accept delivery.
You must be over 18 or older, and if you're ordering for someone under 18 you must be their parent or guardian, or have the permission of their parent or guardian.
Who is behind Banned Books USA?
Banned Books USA was started by entrepreneur and activist Paul English, founder of multiple startups including KAYAK.com and several nonprofits, and Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioner Joyce Linehan, according to a release.
It also is supported by Electric Literature, a non-profit organization that promotes inclusivity and accessibility to literature, and Bookshop.org, an online bookseller that financially supports independent bookstores.
How is Banned Books USA paying for this?
The organization is supported by donations.
"Paul English kicked off the project with a 2:1 matching donation of $100,000," the site says. "Our goal is to raise an additional $50,000 so that up to 10,000 Floridians can receive one of the ~800 banned and challenged books in their state for only the cost of shipping."
If this pilot program is successful in Florida, Banned Books USA plans to expand to other states.
Does ordering a book through Banned Books USA help others?
One dollar for every order will be donated to Florida Freedom to Read Project, a grassroots non-profit organization that advocates for intellectual freedom.
Also, 10% of the cover price of any book delivered will be donated to support independent bookstores in Florida. Bookshop.org will be fulfilling the orders and they have long had a policy of donating portions of sales to support local bookstores.
“Bookshop.org stands against book bans, and we support schools, libraries, and individuals' freedom to read," said founder and CEO Andy Hunter. "We are happy to help BannedBooksUSA.org get challenged books into the hands of readers, and are proud that 10% of the cover price of all books delivered under the project will go to support Florida’s local, independent bookstores.”
What if I want to order more than one banned book?
Bookshop.org is offering 15% off select banned books on its own site through the month of October, just use the code BannedBooks23 when you check out.
And there are several places online or through library apps where you can read banned books. Here's a list of ideas.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: BannedBooksUSA.org sends banned books to Florida students for postage
