AUSTIN, Texas —
The Austin Public Library and the Library Foundation are launching a statewide social network for teens to keep access to banned books.
The "Save The Books Social Network" unites teens who want to defend their freedom to read. The teens say they want to see themselves represented in books and they wish to have a voice to speak up when that freedom is taken away.
The group is also looking to hire some teens to serve as leaders.
Kathleen Houlihan has been picking up books as a librarian for 15 years. Now she finds page-turners at Austin Public Library's Teen Central.
"We really try and create a teen driven space where teens are in the driver's seat," Houlihan said.
She helps keep an open road to reading in the library by guiding teens to books they can relate to – but not without some roadblocks.
"Teens are the ones who are being directly impacted by book bans," Houlihan said. "So that's why it's important for them to be at the table, leading the table."
The group took a detour and started "Banned Camp," which is a book club featuring titles removed from some libraries.
During one session, teens from Vandergrift High School shared their experience advocating in their community.
"I think it's really important because as someone who's loved literature my whole life, I feel like it's really been an outlet for me to see myself through a new lens," Ella Scott, co-founder and co-president of Vandergrift's Banned Book Club, said.
Houlihan said the session gave the Austin Public Library an idea.
"We were like, 'Oh, this might be a space that teens want to have,'" Houlihan said.
The library then paved a new road for the Save The Books Social Network. Thanks to the new group, teens can hear from guest authors and from others their age sharing their experiences.
"When you hear from other teens who actually made progress and made a change in their community, it takes you from a place of being powerless to a place where you feel like you do have a voice," Houlihan said.
The network connects teens from across Texas once a month, virtually.
"It makes your voice louder, and it gives students the opportunity to learn from each other. I mean, the conversations we have with more students, it's amazing the perspectives and the ideas you build off of each other," Scott said.
The available leadership positions come with a $200 a month stipend for a five-month commitment of attending meetings, planning speakers and working on side projects.
The Library Foundation is providing the funding for the network and those positions.
"The freedom to read is very important issue to the Library Foundation. So we, have committed funds to supporting programming that engage teens in this issue of book banning and the freedom to read, because we feel like, it impacts teens. So this program in particular is, particularly powerful," Library Foundation Executive Director Tim Staley said.
Applications to be in the teen leadership circle are open until March 30. Teens can apply online.