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– The New York Public Library is pushing back against book bans elsewhere in the country by making banned books available to everyone, no New York library card needed. the books for everyone the initiative will allow readers over the age of 13 across the country to access four books that have been banned in some jurisdictions for addressing topics such as race and sexuality, NPR reports. The titles, which will be available until the end of May, are Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, king and the dragonflies by Kacen Callender, Stamped: racism, anti-racism and you by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, and forever banned book The Heart Catcher by JD Salinger.

“Recent instances of attempted and successful book bans – mostly on titles that explore race, LGBTQ+ issues, religion and history – are extremely disturbing and an all-out assault on the very foundation of our democracy. “, said the president of the library, Tony. Marx said in a statement, noting that the American Library Association reported a record 729 individual 1,597-pound ban attempts last year. “The role of the Library is to ensure that no perspective, no idea, no identity is erased,” Marx said.

The library worked with authors and publishers to ensure books would be available without charge or wait time. Angela Montefinise, the library’s vice president of communications and marketing, says Engadget that the library’s SimplyE app had to increase server capacity three times to cope with a spike in downloads when the program launched last week. “Making these books available shouldn’t sound like an act of defiance, but sadly, it is,” Marx said. “And we are proud to be part of it.” (Read more stories of forbidden books.)