DON’T BAN OUR BOOKS: WRITING IN THE AGE OF CENSORSHIP 

As book banning efforts grow and spread, with moves to suppress AP courses in African-American history and decrease access to LGBTQ materials, writers must become ever stronger champions of their work. How do we support libraries and bookstores that are right on the front lines of these efforts? This panel surveys the scene from a variety of perspectives. Kerri Westenberg has covered book banning for 64 Parishes. Gregg Shapiro writes for numerous LGBTQ pubications, and Sonnet Ireland has served as president of the Louisiana Library Association. Chris Smith, director of adult programming at the Jefferson Parish Library moderates.