Remember Letters and Post Cards?

Amongst my prized possessions are letters and post cards sent from various places my parents travelled during summer holidays. Here are some from 1970. As a kid in Panama, finding these in the mail made my child's heart race. I did not know it at the time, but my parents planned to take me with them and did so in 1973. I have more post cards and will present them in future posts.

As a Third Culture Kid (A term I will explain fully in a later post as Blogger is giving me fits) I was always eager to explore new places, cultures and languages, something I retain in adulthood.

As a teen, I saw parts of the EU, Central and South America, Mexico and bits of the U.S. Ironically, though a citizen of the United States by birth, I've always felt more comfortable abroad than in the States.

The top card is of course the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and the bottom is St. Edward's Crown, originally made for Charles II and used in coronations since. This last is both a nod to history and blogger Lettuce-eating's recent comments concerning the Royals.

Until Next Time...

Banned Books And Your Freedom To Read...

September 26-October 3, 2009 is Banned Books Week, a U.S. tradition honoring the right to access information, read and remember the importance of the First Amendment and the dangers of censorship, particularly with regard to books targeted for banning.

Examples of such books include but are not limited to: Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Darwin's Origin of the Species, Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird, among many others.

Libraries in communities across the country commemorate Banned Books Week with displays and other activities. You may want to visit yours and find a once banned book to read.

This annual event is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers,and the National Association of College Stores. It is also endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Further information is available at your local library or by visiting the American Library Association website at : http://www.ala.org/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm.

There you'll find all sorts of interesting information regarding where and how books have been the targets of banning, events, activities and more. Celebrate your freedom to read.

Those of you who live outside the United States might be interested in finding out about the banned books in your part of the world. I invite you to post your discoveries in the Comments for this blog.

The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom at http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?Section=oif#what contains useful information about the Library Bill of Rights, the Patriot Act and other hot-button issues relative to intellectual freedom, including some suggestions how citizens and others can support both libraries and intellectual freedom.

Happy Reading, Everyone!

Until Next Time...