McIntosh Memorial Library has been awarded a $10,000 grant to develop resources and programming to provide teens with the knowledge and skills to fight back against censorship. Brooklyn Public Library, the founder of the nationwide Books Unbanned initiative, awarded grants to just 12 libraries nationwide including the public library in Viroqua.
Inspired by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, Books Unbanned is a response to an increasing effort to remove books from library shelves, namely books targeting race, racism, equity, and social justice. Most books being removed are written for teens or young adults.
The grant dollars enable McIntosh Memorial Library to join other libraries fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. “Currently McIntosh Memorial is actively seeking five volunteer Teen Ambassadors for the period of October 2025 to September 2026 to help lead the Books Unbanned campaign” said Emilia Jury Youth Services Director of the McIntosh Memorial Library. “The Ambassadors will work alongside library staff to carry out the yearlong campaign.”
The grant program is an extension of the Books Unbanned program which offers teens, ages 13 to 21, access to Brooklyn Public Libraries entire digital collection of approximately half a million items. Since launching in 2022, more than 10,000 teens have applied for the card—from all 50 states—and they have checked out more than 300,000 books. Boston, Seattle, LA County, Long Beach and San Diego Public Libraries have also joined Books Unbanned.
“Amid a record number of book bans and challenges, training the next generation of library advocates and leaders is our most urgent work,” said Emma Eriksson, Manager of Youth Civic Engagement and Expression at Brooklyn Public Library. “Brooklyn Public Library is proud to partner with libraries across the nation to help a new generation learn how to stand up for the right to access books and information from all points of view.”
Information about the Teen Ambassador Program may be found by visiting the employment section on the library website at www.mcintoshmemoriallibrary.org or contacting Youth Services Director Emilia Jury at 608-637-7151 x 5 or e.jury@wrlsweb.org