Author: Grace Pickering
I’m Grace Pickering. I am a graduate student in the Library and Information Science program at Pratt Institute in New York City, set to complete my studies in December 2024. My focus is on public libraries and law libraries, with a particular interest in inclusion and accessibility. I am interested in young people’s and children’s librarianship and ensuring equitable access to inclusive collections, particularly fighting censorship and book bans. I have just completed the 2023-24 Fellowship with the Brooklyn Public Library in the Central Library Youth Wing. I volunteer at Brooklyn Book Bodega, a non-profit that collects, sorts, and distributes donations of new and gently used books to families, community-based organizations, and schools throughout Brooklyn. Prior to that, I worked in an award-winning diversity pipeline program in New York City.
My 2023-24 Brooklyn Public Library Young Adult and Children’s Services Fellowship allowed me to explore how young people access nonfiction titles. At the library, I examined the circulation…
This presentation discusses the current status of book bans in the United States and the negative implications for adolescent development, particularly for people with marginalized identities. The American…