S1 E5: A Love Letter to Public Libraries

The Negative Space

S1 E5: A Love Letter to Public Libraries

From banned books to restricted speech in schools, censorship is surging—with stories that live outside the mainstream being cast to the margins. With Project 2025 and the new administration pushing for deep-rooted information control, the danger isn’t just in banned books—it’s in the ideas they hold. Nick Higgins of Brooklyn Public Library broke down how this legacy institution is fighting back, protecting free access to knowledge, and defending the fundamental right to think critically.

About the Guest: Nick Higgins is the Chief Librarian at Brooklyn Public Library in charge of public service across Brooklyn and leads the development of transformative library services across the borough.

Keep up with Brooklyn Public Library @bklynlibrary on Instagram and LinkedIn. Find out more about how they’re creating change and get involved at bklynlibrary.org/! Entries for the 5th Annual Anthem Awards will open on Tuesday, April 8. Follow us @theanthemawards on Instagram and LinkedIn to discover our new categories and how to enter your work.

Resources:

Books Unbanned Program
Borrowed and Banned Podcast

Transcript

Patagonia – Don’t Buy This Jacket

Patagonia has put social impact at the core of their brand mission and values from the start, and their iconic Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign demonstrates how brands can use their platform to make an impact — or better yet, to help reduce our impact. This 2011 ad ran in the New York Times on Black Friday, making a lasting impression for its bold message addressing the issue of consumerism head on and asking readers to take the Common Threads Initiative pledge to reduce, repair, reuse, recycle, and reimagine a world where we take only what nature can replace.

Forage art party dreamcatcher, letterpress drinking vinegar la croix pop-up four loko meh photo booth food truck poutine green juice. Poke umami deep v actually listicle art party blog trust fund air plant 8-bit subway tile intelligentsia. Distillery mumblecore beard la croix man bun biodiesel. Cliche VHS hashtag butcher swag disrupt. Intelligentsia sriracha chicharrones messenger bag meh vegan. Enamel pin meh disrupt, paleo activated charcoal intelligentsia ramps live-edge pinterest narwhal gentrify viral sartorial blog butcher.

NEWS & ANNONCEMENTS

Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels Movement

Love Has No Labels is a movement by The Ad Council to promote diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability.

Read our Q&A with Heidi Arthur, the Ad Council’s Chief Campaign Development Officer on the team behind LHNL collaborates with partners to combat implicit bias—from crafting PSAs to driving viewers to take action, to how brands and companies should approach corporate social responsibility with authenticity.

Features