I have a great debt to owe the place of libraries in my life, beginning from the age of 5 when I received my first library card. Libraries have served as a source of wonder and curiosity throughout my educational process and were a place of employment as well during undergraduate and graduate school.
I view the role of free libraries (thank you Andrew Carnagie) as a rich and essential institution in our society, and it pains me to see libraries and librarians under assault in this current moment by anti-democratic and authoritarian conservative forces. This movement is unacceptable to me, and I would be honored to serve as an advocate in this manner as I have advocated for social justice causes throughout my life.
My life partner Anne is related to award winning children’s author Nancy Garden who wrote the classic, Annie on My Mind, which was banned by a school committee in Kansas and eventually ended up before the US District Court. This was eventually ruled as an act of unconstitutional censorship. As a way to honor Ms. Garden’s lifetime work to uphold the First Amendment I would be glad to advocate for the Troy Library System.
Thanks so much,
Mark