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Bastrop bookshop partners with Scribd for banned book giveaway with "Bookmobile"

by Stephanie Becerra

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Parents and children receive free copies of books that have been challenged and banned in Texas from Scribd’s “Banned Bookmobile” outside of his store The Painted Porch in Bastrop, TX on Thursday, February 17, 2022. Scribd, an online reading subscription service and the world’s largest digital library created the “Banned Bookmobile” in response to the recent uptick in books being banned nationwide and opened its library for free for 30 days at Try.Scribd.com/BannedBooks. Scribd’s “Banned Bookmobile” will return to The Painted Porch in Bastrop, TX on Saturday, February 19, 2022.
Parents and children receive free copies of books that have been challenged and banned in Texas from Scribd’s “Banned Bookmobile” outside of his store The Painted Porch in Bastrop, TX on Thursday, February 17, 2022. Scribd, an online reading subscription service and the world’s largest digital library created the “Banned Bookmobile” in response to the recent uptick in books being banned nationwide and opened its library for free for 30 days at Try.Scribd.com/BannedBooks. Scribd’s “Banned Bookmobile” will return to The Painted Porch in Bastrop, TX on Saturday, February 19, 2022.
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BASTROP, Texas — An independent bookshop in Bastrop handed out banned books to readers from a "Bookmobile" Saturday in response to Texas school districts banning specific books from the classrooms.

The digital reading subscription service Scribd partnered with Ryan Holiday, owner of The Painted Porch Bookshop, New York Times bestselling author, and host of the Daily Stoic podcast to bring its new "Banned Bookmobile" to Texas in order to get physical copies of banned books into readers' hands for free.

"Scribd was created to change the way the world reads, but recently the freedom to read diverse topics has come under attack with an alarming uptick in books being banned in school and public libraries," said Trip Adler, Scribd Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "That's why we partnered with Ryan Holiday, who owns an independent bookstore, to stand up against book banning by distributing print books outside his store."

The event was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 912 Main Street.

RELATED: Leander ISD pulls 11 books, graphic novels from classroom libraries after review

"America has a lot of problems but people reading books is not one of them. I'm appalled by this campaign to ban or remove books from school libraries and as a bookseller, it's my obligation to do something about it," said Holiday. "I'm really excited that Scribd has helped make these books accessible not just here in Bastrop, Texas but across the country."

Scribd said it wanted to open its entire library so that readers can explore books that have been banned including Not My Idea by Anastasia Higginbotham, King and the Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and New Kid by Jerry Craft, among others.

Those who were unable to visit can still gain access to the banned books from now until February 28 through Scribd's digital library for free for 30 days.

MORE| Williamson Co. distributes CARES funds to Round Rock, Leander ISDs after book debate

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