Washington Reads Freely!
Washington Reads Freely is a months-long effort to celebrate the freedom to read. The effort encourages library patrons and the general public to share their stories of what reading freely means to them. The responses will be collected and shared during Banned Books Week in late September. (Sharing anonymously is an option for participants.)
Libraries of Washington, this toolkit will help you share the Washington Reads Freely campaign with your community members: online, in your libraries in person, or both!
Free People Read Freely!
Join us in celebrating our right to read the books that speak to us. People of all ages in Washington state are invited to share their thoughts on the power and joy of reading freely.
Reading can serve so many purposes – entertainment, learning, instruction, understanding, validation, comfort, and so much more. This summer and fall, Washington State Library, Humanities Washington, and the Washington Center for the Book are coming together to celebrate the power of reading choice. What does it mean to you to have the freedom to read? No matter how old you are, or where you are in Washington, we invite you to add your voice to a chorus of Washington readers. Answer one of the prompts on our form, and we’ll collect and share responses. Watch our social media and stay tuned for an interactive website filled with the thoughts of your fellow Washingtonians about why reading freely is such an important right.
Downloadable bookmarks
Posters
Link to the online survey
Printable surveys
If you choose to distribute paper surveys, please transcribe the filled-out forms from your community members into the online form here.
Participants, who choose to share their email address, will be entered into a drawing for some fun TBD prizes during Banned Books Week!
Writing prompts:
What does it mean to you to have the freedom to choose what you read? Feel free to respond in any way you wish, or use one of the prompts below as inspiration:
- Tell us about a book that is meaningful to you. How did you find this book? Why is it important that you had access to it?
- How do you decide what to read? Where do you find reading material?
- How would you feel if someone told you that you weren’t allowed to read something you wanted to read? Why would you feel that way?
