The Streisand Effect is a wonderful thing.

"[T]hese bans target materials written by and about people of color or LGBTQ+ individuals, and even though a 2022 poll found that 70% of parents oppose them, they are continuing at a rapid rate.

"Now the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is trying to fight back. It recently launched the Banned Book Program, granting free nationwide access to books restricted in schools or libraries.

“It functions through GPS-based geo-targeting; by typing in your zip code, you are shown the complete list of titles prohibited in your area. Once you download the Palace e-reader app, these books are available to download.”

  • r_a_trip@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    37
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    We live in interesting times when the USA, the land of the free and home of the brave, has to turn to samizdat to circumvent censorship.

    • fubo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      To be fair, samizdat overcame much greater obstacles than a school library not carrying particular titles because of the ideological idiocy of the school board. The Soviets were much more, ah, comprehensive when it came to banning books.

      • MomoTimeToDie@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        1 year ago

        The Soviets were much more, ah, comprehensive when it came to banning books.

        Almost like comparing library curation to actual censorship has always been a dishonest comparison.

    • MomoTimeToDie@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      25
      ·
      1 year ago

      It’s not fucking censorship. Nobody is stopping people from reading these books. It’s literally just preventing schools from providing them. That’s it.