The Long Beach Public Library in California will soon be joining the Books Unbanned project pioneered by the Brooklyn Public Library. Any teen in the U.S. will be able to sign up for a free digital library card and gain access to the library’s full ebook and audio book selections, not just the books that may have been banned in their hometowns.

Watch for the start of the program in September or October. And in the meantime, join the Brooklyn PL Books Unbanned. Access to multiple library collections is a win-win! Libraries have different collections, you might find a book at one library that isn’t available at another. (Don’t forget, NYS residents can get a free library card from the New York Public Library, which gives you access to the digital collections of NYPL, Queens PL, and Brooklyn PL.)

Here’s how it works: Starting this fall, teens between 13 and 19 years old anywhere in the United States will be able to sign up for a free digital library card from the Long Beach Public Library. All participants must fill out an application to gain access to the library’s digital resources, then renew annually to retain it. 

Once approved, they will have full access to the library’s entire collection of e-books and audiobooks through the Libby app. There, they will find a treasure trove of titles that have been challenged or banned elsewhere, such as the New York Times bestseller, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, which received 66 bans last year. Or, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky’s cult-favorite coming-of-age tale, which is currently tied for the third most-banned book in America. (https://www.upworthy.com/long-beach-banned-books-program)