The Battle Over Books: Publishers, Libraries & Banned Authors Speak Out

Book bans are rising at an alarming rate—but librarians, authors, and publishers are fighting back. In this powerful episode of Book Lounge by Libby, Joe is joined by librarian and intellectual freedom advocate Amanda Jones, bestselling author Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart), veteran librarian and censorship expert Pat R. Scales, and Skip Dye, SVP at Penguin Random House. Together, they dive into the impact of censorship on libraries, communities, and the future of publishing. 

Plus, stick around for a banned books spotlight featuring Joe, Bre, and Meara, where they share a few of their must-read titles that have faced bans or challenges. 

📚 Let’s talk about what it means to protect the freedom to read. 

Want the video version of the show? Visit the Libby App YouTube channel!

Articles Mentioned in the Intro & Episode: 

• What's a book ban anyway? Depends on who you ask 

• Manuscripts Don’t Burn: a Timeline of Literary Censorship, Destruction, and Liberation 

• American Library Association Names Skip Dye Honorary Member 

• The Persistent Problem of Colorism: Skin Tone, Status, and Inequality 

• Under fire from state, Hillsborough’s Ayres pledges to pull more books 

Guest Host Recommendations: 

Bre 

• The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison 

• Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison 

• Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston 

Meara 

• Pet - Akwaeke Emezi 

• The Midnight Lie - Marie Rutkoski 

• Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury 

Joe 

• Flamer – Mike Curato 

• The Magic Fish – Trung Le Nguyen 

• All Boys Aren’t Blue - George M. Johnson 

 Follow the Guests & Guest Hosts: 

Segment 1: 

• Amanda Jones - Links 

• Kalynn Bayron - Website 

• Pat R. Scales - LinkedIn 

• Skip Dye – Penguin Random House 

Segment 2:  

• Bre - Links 

• Meara - Links 

Time Stamps: 

00:00:00 Title 

00:00:16 Intro 

00:05:54 Segment 1, Part 1: Amanda Jones, Kalynn Bayron, Pat R. Scales 

00:50:33 Segment 1, Part 2: Skip Dye 

01:17:54 BREAK 

01:19:01 Segment 2: Book Recommendations with Bre, Meara & Joe 

02:11:38 Outro 

 

Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can add these titles to their digital collections for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. Check out our Cumulative List for the whole season, or this list for today’s episode! 

Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! 

We hope you enjoy this episode of Book Lounge by Libby. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can watch the video version of our show on the Libby App YouTube channel. Keep up with us on social media by following the Libby App on Instagram!  

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