PEN to Put $1.4m Grant Toward Public Libraries
The Mellon Foundation has awarded PEN America $1.4 million to support its efforts defending the freedom to read. In an announcement August 15, PEN said that the money will be used to support public libraries and librarians, who are “facing escalating threats to their work, safety and core mission.”
PEN intends to introduce several new initiatives with the support of the Mellon Foundation, including research and analysis of educational censorship in public libraries; public education campaigns to highlight the free speech implications of book bans on library systems; and safety resources and trainings for librarians who face harassment for the books they shelve and the public programs they mount.
“The right to access information, stories, and ideas of others is one of our most fundamental and universal values,” said Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s managing director of U.S. free expression programs. “The libraries and librarians that uphold this democratic value need the public’s support.”
