Freedom to Read

Austin Public Library and BookPeople band together to celebrate banned books

Austin Public Library is collaborating with BookPeople to present a free summer series centered around banned or challenged books.

Photo courtesy of Austin Public Library

Since not everyone can give as rousing of a speech about censorship as Annie Kinsella at her local PTA meeting in Field of Dreams, two local organizations are working together to celebrate the freedom to read. Austin Public Library is collaborating with favorite independent bookstore BookPeople to present a free summer series centered around banned or challenged books.

Banned Camp kicked off earlier this week and lasts through the summer, with programming to include author events, story times, book clubs, and more.

“We are very excited to be able to offer this series of events for the community to celebrate the freedom to read and free and open access and exchange of ideas,” says Austin Public Library Director Roosevelt Weeks in a release. “Libraries exist to give people access to all kinds of information, stories, and ideas – and unfortunately, that is increasingly under threat. This summer-long series of fun and informative events will highlight the importance of the freedom to read and why Austin Public Library stands against censorship and book banning.”

Censorship is on the rise in both schools and local libraries, particularly focused on books by people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. In October 2021, the Texas Library Association (TLA) noted a “substantial increase in censorship activity” in Texas libraries, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reported an “unprecedented volume” in challenges to books in the fall of 2021.

Austin Public Library issued its own statement opposing book banning and library censorship in December 2021.

“Freedom to read is a right that must be protected in our schools and public libraries, and we must not give in to the vocal few that want to speak for the many,” Weeks said in that statement.

Naturally, as Texas’ largest independent bookstore, BookPeople is the ideal partner for this series. The store helped kick off festivities by donating 20 percent of sales on June 9 toward purchasing copies of Banned Camp featured titles to be distributed to Austin Public Library for the summer program.

"Books take us on adventures, offer us new perspectives and ideas, and sometimes push us out of our comfort zones,” stated Meghan Goel, Children's Book Buyer & Programming Director at BookPeople. “They are multifaceted and not easily reduced to soundbites or headlines. That is what makes it so exciting and rewarding to be a reader! This summer we want to invite families and readers of all ages to explore recently challenged books with us; to read broadly and critically; to openly discuss which books strike chords with us as readers and what they made us think about.”

Next up is a conversation with author George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Aren’t Blue, on June 16 at 6 pm at the Carver Branch Library. Find a full list of events at the Austin Public Library website or at BookPeople.

Additional partners in presenting the event series include: Pease Park, Austin Allies, #FReadom, and the Austin Branch of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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