American Stage Theatre, Keep St. Pete Lit, and Tombolo Books have partnered to create a free banned book library in downtown St. Pete.

Saturday, February 18 was a celebration of all things local in the heart of St. Pete. Once again Localtopia served as a reminder as to why a robust, inclusive, impassioned, and well supported community is so imperative to the smart growth of St. Pete. There was one debut in particular that reminded us why the cultural institutions in the Sunshine City are so vital: the banned book library in the lobby of American Stage Theatre. During the Localtopia revelry, Keep St. Pete Lit, a nonprofit organization owned and operated by Maureen McDole, and American Stage, a local theatre company, opened its completely free Banned Book Library.

It’s stocked with books banned from nearby public schools. The collection will grow, and Keep St. Pete Lit is organizing the book drive, and interested buyers can purchase banned books such as the infamously outlawed “The Bluest Eye” either online or at Tombolo Books. This represents a coming together of the entire book loving community show shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Banned Book Library celebrates artistic expression

“American Stage wants to be at the center of artistic expression, and anytime artistic expression is threatened, we pay attention,” said Avery Anderson, American Stage’s Director of Marketing. 

Anderson remembers reading queer drama “The Bluest Eye” in high school. Seeing it, and books like it being barred from schools wasn’t something he wanted to ignore, so he reached out to Keep St. Pete Lit.

“I still can’t believe that people actually think banning books is ok. It’s mind-blowing to me, especially because the books that are banned represent diversity and inclusion,” said Maureen McDole, founder and executive director of Keep St. Pete Lit. “It infuriates me and I am so grateful to be able to create a space for people to read the books if they want, whenever they want.”

Providing free access to award-winning literature

Ironically, American Stage and St. Petersburg Collegiate STEM High School share a building with the downtown SPC campus. The library will live on the first floor of SPC, not far from the small STEM high school. While the library is open to students, it’s free and available to all. 

“I would love to see people in and out every day, taking books, and sharing the ideas behind them,” Anderson said. 

Following its Localtopia debut, the Banned Book Library is still looking for more reading material. Anyone who would like to donate a book, or purchase a book for the library can browse and order online.

“We became booksellers because we fundamentally believe that books have the power to bring communities together by exposing readers to experiences and points of view they might not otherwise encounter,” writes Alsace Walentine and Candice Anderson, co-owners of Tombolo Books, in a joint statement to I Love the ‘Burg. “School and library book bans, like the ones we are seeing surge in Florida, increase social divisions by silencing the voices and erasing the experiences of already marginalized communities.”

A new book club dedicated to banned books

The bookstore owners also highlighted the Florida Freedom to Read Project, a group that connects parent organizations across the state of Florida and focuses their energy on defending every student’s right to access information and ideas while at school.

“I don’t need anyone in Tallahassee telling me what my kids can and cannot read,” Raegan Miller, Treasurer and Board Member of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said in an interview with Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “It helps if they can see themselves in books, or that they can develop empathy for other human beings that we live around every single day.”

Supporters can also purchase the books at Tombolo’s brick-and-mortar, and Keep St. Pete Lit will transport them. Tombolo is located at 2153 1st Avenue South. The bookstore has also launched a new Banned Books Book Club, and the first meeting is set for Thursday, February 23, from 7pm-8pm. The virtual book club will discuss Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.

Spawning more banned book libraries in the ‘Burg

“I hope that it’s the first of many banned book libraries in our community, for as long as there is a need for them. Hopefully, they won’t be needed for long,” McDole said.

In an interview with the New Yorker, the president of the Florida Education Association estimated that a third of the state’s counties were instructed to cover up their bookshelves until confirmation that the materials were allowed under Florida law.

“It’s in line with things that he’s always had planned for Florida, and we’ve always known what his ideas were and what he planned to do to us. So it’s shocking, but it’s not surprising,” Alisha Cox, an organizer with the Florida-based Dream Defenders, told Teen Vogue.

You can keep up with Keep St. Pete Lit and its upcoming events/banned book library on its website, and Facebook page.

American Stage Theatre is located at 163 3rd Street North.

What to read next:

• Voodoo Brewing Co opening soon in downtown St. Pete
• Cala Kitchen brings Sicilian brunch to Grand Central District
• Non-alcoholic bottle shop Herban Flow debuts in the ‘Burg
• Golden Isles Brewing Co coming soon to Magnolia Heights