Walk with a Purpose

Three years ago, after a difficult state legislative session in Texas that aimed to restrict access to books and disparage the work of librarians, I recognized the urgency of helping my community understand how our libraries operate.

I am a school librarian. My community supports the school library, and students are active library users. At the same time, rhetoric from the 2023 legislative session and in the years since have shown me that the public has limited knowledge about how we choose books and select programming makes the library a place students want to be.

So in 2023, I created the Freedom Walk—an interactive program that takes place in the courtyard of my high school campus. Students visit during lunch periods to learn about their rights as readers.

Instead of simply highlighting censorship statistics or bringing awareness to banned books, the Freedom Walk explores the ideas behind our freedom to read and the critical role everyone plays in protecting that freedom. Instead of celebrating what we can’t read, we celebrate our right to read.

The Freedom Walk includes five stations, and students learn not just about their constitutional rights but also terms used during censorship attempts, the book purchasing process, who is responsible for policies about information access in our libraries, and the importance of being engaged voters. Activities at the stations include a quiz, matching and other games, and reflection activities. Some history and government teachers offer extra credit to students who go to the Freedom Walk and share what they have learned, although many students explore without the promise of extra credit.  (See details about the Freedom Walk stations in the September 2024 issue of Knowledge Quest.)

Each year I have conducted our Freedom Walk, I have been impressed with the engagement our students have with each of the five stations presented. They have asked insightful questions and are eager to learn how their voices can be heard on these issues.

Prompted by the enthusiastic response of my students, I have expanded the program to explore how they can add their voices to the debate around the freedom to read. In 2024, I hosted an evening program, Empowering Voters, which focused on the importance of voting and the process of becoming a registered voter in Texas. It featured two students and author Marc Favereau in a panel discussion about his book, Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote. (Little, Brown, 2024) The local League of Women Voters explained the registration process and registered non-voters, and the local organization Youth Do Vote explained the process of becoming an election worker and provided a sample voting machine so students could practice casting a ballot. Providing these opportunities not only made our students more comfortable with the voting process but also prompted conversations about how they could drive change on issues that matter to them, including the freedom to read. More than 50 students and community members attended.

This year, we’re hosting a One Book, One School initiative using the book Verify by Joelle Charbonneau, a dystopian novel that explores potential censorship issues when printed books are no longer available and all information is digital. Students are able to respond to weekly discussion topics posted on social media and participate in an essay contest structured around the censorship ideas raised in this book. We’re also hosting a panel with local officials who will discuss their role in protecting our community’s right to access information.

I firmly believe our communities become even more passionate advocates for our libraries when they recognize libraries are under threat. Educating them on the foundational beliefs and processes behind the way we curate collections and why we design the programs we offer helps them foster thoughtful discussions about their rights as readers. While I recognize the courage required to present this type of program, I respectfully urge my colleagues across the country to embrace our role as information specialists and provide the best information to our patrons. Select the elements of these programs that you are most comfortable presenting and equip your patrons with information they can use in their own discussions and advocacy efforts about the critical role libraries play in safeguarding everyone’s freedom to read.