This is out 0 and these are the top stories defense cheats of west african countries have drawn up a plan for possible military intervention. If news years generals dont reinstate the democratically elected president mohammed bassoon, the commanders of Economic Community of West African States or eco, was met in nigeria to finalize the plan after negotiations with qu, leaders hit a deadlock. The russian, the Opposition Leader alexi in the valley has been sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison on charges of extremism. Validate is a critic of president putin and has campaigned against corruption in the kremlin since 2011 supporters and human rights. Campaigners call it persecutions. A newly released video appears to show a Ukrainian Naval drum targeting or russian worship. The Russian DefenseMinistry Said a drone attack had been foiled at a naval base in the black sea port of nova ro, sisk. Another video later showed a damage warship being towed away. Saudi arabia is advising, is citizen sleeve, love it on quickly and avoid areas seeing armed conflict. It has also stress that a travel band to love it on this in place. You pay has also updated its travel advice, 411. 00 on advising against all, but essential travel to parts of lebanon south near the im l hallway, count us. Well, those are the headlines. The news continues here on al jazeera. After talk to alpha 0, stay with the latest news as it breaks the fires. Keep spreading is weve been talking to fire fighters. Theyre saying that theres very little they can do with these heavy, with, with detailed coverage, with hopes of a decisive victory on the bus for good on faith. Think the initial walk you through. It seems to be changing from around the world. Every child on the set of still received a nature of elk each day, but the states capacity to see the vulnerable from sanctions because the ministry, the United States of america, a country many of a god, sees the power yet to move. In 13 percent of adults cant read or right above that grade level. Thats the same or less than an 8 year old child sent to ship his Library Books is also on the rise. The American Library association reported a Record Number of to moms to since the Library Books and all the materials last year. More than 1600 contested titles addressed many race and gender issues. Tracy hol, executive director of the American Library association is one of the loudest voices and promotion, freedom of publication, and book access for what drives it is the belief that free people lead free career has focused on slicing for the read his right to read. None and grant, but with more cool of a sense to shift the issue has become increasingly politicized. So will the so called land of the free remain. So for reading the executive director of the American Library association, tracy hold talks to alger 0, the tracy hall executive director of the American Library association. Thank you for talking to alex rivera. I, tracy, i believe single favorite. What is abracadabra . Can you tell me why . Yes, abracadabra suggest the incident possibility because i think this is a moment as we know where library are really caught in and, and boiled in a conversation that is an important one about our democracy. And so i think adver to deborah is, is especially important now because what we want to do, and what i want to do is to ensure that libraries remain strong and, and continue to be the bedrock of, i think, a country a nation thats will be built on the notion of open access and also mobility, social mobility, i think its really appropriate that its a magic way because you discover so much as the magic of books when your, when your child and library is at that time, can feel like such a postal to to and otherwise i believe you go up in South Central los angeles and i know you were very close to the family. Yeah. Especially your grandmother betsy. Can you tell me a little more about what books and libraries meant to you and your family at that time . Yeah, as well. You know, my family is a product of the great migration. Im here in the United States which brought hundreds of thousands of, of families, many of them, most of them black african american, out of the south and into the west coast where my family went to the east coast to cities in the midwest like chicago, where i live today and um, and many, many of those families left us out because they were in search of economic opportunity. They were in search of educational athens. And i think my grandmother saw a library in particular as a conduit to both. So my grandmother was responsible for me getting my 1st library card and really introducing me to the world of, of library because she has such a firm belief in the possibilities that they offer. How much time did you spend in libraries . As a little guy . What are your favorite things to do that story time . Of course i spent a lot of time um you know, all, all summer, most most of the summer. Uh the weekends. Um i didnt really even think about other options and sometimes i go to the park. If my friends would, would drag me, but i was often in the library i, i loved i love story time. I love our programs even today. And many libraries offer sometimes the only our program that young people that children might have access to and, and alongside my level of libraries, i became really interested in art and art making and tracing. I know youve had a number of jobs in, in different fields, but it does feel like the one thing theyve all had in common has been this sense of service to your community. You worked with the homeless in l. A. I believe, and social services. And you also at one point set up a secret Literacy Program in the basement of the library. Well, why can you tell me more about love . Yeah, its in the basement of the library that i was working in. Absolutely. Um, shortly after i receive my masters degree and Library Information sciences, i became the Branch Manager of a branch in the community that um you know, had a number of people who hadnt been as high school or who were blue collar workers. And many, many of them confided their hopes and dreams and me, but i remember a few in particular with comply that they didnt know how to read well. And they also didnt know where programs were, that they could receive literacy instruction. And when i fired, i realize that there were no programs on our side of town. So i, i became a certified literacy instructor along with what is my staff members. And we began to offer programs in, in, in the basement of, of the library because we didnt have a lot of resources even for the traditional Library Services. And, and so it was important that we do this, but because it wasnt exactly st. And i, we, we did do it sort of covertly, but we, we, in the, in, were actually received an award for the, the impact that the program a. And thats amazing. It reminds me a little bit of a story that youve also shed about your father telling you that you were meant to be a librarian because i believe your great grandmother. Lena ran a one room schoolhouse with colored children in east texas all those years ago. Single gays of libraries too. I mean, not wasnt so long ago. Eva, a lot of change, a lot has changed since then, but it feels like it could be, hasnt really changed. Do you feel like, like america is less segregated these days, or is it just a different form . I think that democracy is a process, right. And i think that nations go through all type of periods and, and changes as they, as a work to reach their goals. And i definitely think that libraries, whether theyre school or Public Library are a part of our reaching those goals the back way for equity. And i think that library have moved over time to not only reflect, but i think to anticipate the goals of our community. I am so happy that school and public and academic libraries are often the 1st restores that many people in our community a utilize. And we know that before the pandemic library is all over this country, were responsible for 1000000000 visit. So to me today, i believe that library are a part of our Critical Infrastructure and, and, and that their accessibility, we depend on that and billions of people. Um, i think all over the worlds should be able to rely on libraries as a 1st resource and tracing your talk about libraries there. A space is for convening. And i know youre recently visited a library that i believe was one of the fast areas where there was a sit in during, during civil rights era. So they all spaces but convening certainly. But do you feel that that will say perhaps spaces or resistance . Absolutely. You know, the 1st youre referring to the Barrett Branch of uh, the Public Library in alexandria, virginia, which was the sight of one of the 1st civil rights sit in in 1939 when 5 young men who were resisting and protesting the fact that black tax payers in virginia and alexandria were paying for Library Services that they themselves couldnt use. Theyve visited the library, they asked to register for library card. And when they were denied, they began to read books in the library as a side of protest. They were arrested and it wouldnt be another 20 years before black people would be able to access that library equitably. So when i visited, i, i remember thinking that my being there as the head of the American Library association and being greeted by a young black woman who was working there. That, that in and of itself was a side of how far weve come from. And how important their sacrifices in 1939 were to both of our being there in that library of that day. And you say, how far weve come, how far america has come to tracy. But you also eluded earlier in that and i tried to fight thats ongoing right now in america. In the past 2 years, i was having to look at the numbers. The organization has registered the highest numbers of censorship challenges since you began tracking them pen america recorded the school book, binds on a state prize, 28 percent more just the 1st half of the season and the previous 6 months. What does that say to about the america of today . I as well, one thing is that we know that reading and, and so again, that conversation, you know, that were just having about access to, to library. Thats another form of censorship. And when we see today many times, people havent read the book that they are centering, and theyll say that what we have to understand is that this is the political nation of, of read a. There is a far more pernicious agenda behind censorship. Of the people who want to censor who want to eliminate a freedom of expression, which is of course, a part of our 1st amendment rights are not patriot. They are not defending the democracy of this country. In fact, they are working against it. And we have to understand it and call it out if thats the majority of people in this country. Believe that free people read freely and that that is the bedrock of democratic engagement. So it is really important for us to understand, stand up and call out what we seeing for me of one of the most patriotic activities that i have the, which is to bam. Fundamentally the, the right to read the right to write freely. And of course the right to dream into i the, and the right to self expression, which is a baseline that baseline, a human right tracy. It does seem as well even within the context of the, the divisiveness that we see in america right now. The topics of the banned books and out also expanding. So race racism, eligibility to themes, we know that thats been very contentious for some time now, but now were also seeing book bands around violence, health desk in grief. What do you make of that kind of trajectory . Well, many of the books that are being there are some of the scientists work and the of literature. And what were seeing is people taking one passage, one sentence, one line from one page and saying to people, oh, dont you think we should band this . Dont you think we should protect your children when in fact, what literature helps us to do is it allows us to learn from our history so that we dont repeat the parts of it that we shouldnt. It allows us to gain empathy and compassion for other people and their struggles and the things that they have been through. And so when we begin to restrict the literature up and, and sometimes when you read the reason why some of these books are being censored, you just shake your head because you cant believe it. We saw most recently the hill we climb, being restricted in the state of florida, a book written by the youngest nodule, a poet laureate amanda gorman. The book is all about how we must come together as a nation to Work Together to honor each other story. For me when you see book like that, books about equity of civil rights. When you see books like that being bad, it means that we have to stop at this moment and resist because that elimination of, of that civil, right, the right to read, present the slippery slope for the elimination of other constitutional right. Well Amanda Coleman spoke. I was mitre about to ask you about that because that was bands in florida and also in florida. Some School Teachers and thoughts of the stage have also been told to clear out the classroom libraries, especially if a books that havent been individually betted. And by a library technician, i believe is, is the phrase, but these are, these are the teachers who have both books and that they want to share with the students. And theyre not allowed to use them in classrooms. This is obviously changing the way that teachers are able to teach as well. Absolutely. Right. And one thing that we have to understand is that we are talking about librarianship school, librarianship, public librarianship, academic librarianship as a profession. These are individuals, just bringing in books that they like were talking about literature reviews, were talking about the fact that before we order or buy books for libraries, were looking at how will this book supplement, especially in schools, the curriculum or in terms of the public. How will this book respond to the local needs of my community . So this isnt about individuals just bringing in books they like. And i think that we have to honor the fact that librarianship that Teaching Health care, were talking about profession and profession know that no one im trained to member anywhere of of thats assigned should be able to step in for. And so thats one thing that i think is being locked in this conversation from what were doing in the professional. I think a profession that has been around since the beginning of, of this country. What we know is in the beginning of the country, one of the 1st act was to establish a Congressional Library and Public Library. The notion of the free Public Library has its origin story here in this country. And that is built on the professionalization of a sector of people who are trained in the art of information retrieval and storage and dissemination, collection development. And so i, i really take a deep pause and when all of us to because i again believe that there is the larger and more pernicious agenda at, at, at hand here. But the other thing i think that it is really important for us to understand is that the book banning is also a part of a larger effort many times to be fund the public libraries. If you look at some of the legislation and to be fond of school library, some of the legislation in some states, some places where we are seeing book banning. Were also seeing attempts to cut back or diminish other forms of educational and Library Services. I want to get to the initial aspect of, of what you would just the leading to that and a 2nd, tracy, but let me pick up on something that you mentioned because it feels like you said, there are lots of Different Reasons why people are wanting books spend, but it does feel like some of that stems from a fit of what could be dangerous. And i one that is it, that people now feel that additional themes. Electra especially in childrens books, could be dangerous. Or is it just that theyve always felt that way and now they, they feel more able to speak about that openly . I feel like we have to always, uh, guard against the notion that knowledge is dangerous. Because again, were talking about individuals who, by and large, havent read the book. If you look at some of these challenges there, theres a lot of copy and pasting as opposed to people who are deeply reading many times i may get emails from people say, you know, why are these 164 book band and a couple of times i will respond if youve read any of these books in their entirety, im happy to speak with you about them. And i never, i never get a response back. Honestly, because unfortunately what we need to do, if not then, but we need to re book, right . Because i think theres another statistic that says that for people once they graduate high school or college, depending on what their terminal degree is, many times people will not read books in their entirety ever again. And thats something that i, i dont want this a bad that theres ways of book banding to have a Chilling Effect on our lifelong learning. Because that is so important to us of being contributing members of our society. You have advertising very strongly for self expression. But also for anti racism and you know, that had been some controversial childrens books, dr. Serious. Well dial whos the states of actually taking their books back or changed parts of them either because of the pictures and then or phrasings. And then because they felt that they were perceived to be racist. And im curious about what you think about that because some would argue that, you know, it was all the time. So that should continue existing so that people can share with their children. What was then in the conversation at the time, but then to put that into context, how do you feel about about that kind of rewriting of childrens books for this era . Yeah, as well. Number one, we have to understand intellectual freedom and equity, diversity and inclusion. At mutually re enforcing principles, right . They are not in a contest with each other. There is not a battle between them. Often times one the is the prelude for the other. So which freedom of expression, it does mean that people are going to write things that we may disagree with, and that is there, right . But it is not our right to spencer a to say that okay, whats your say . Were joy. Just going to pretend that you didnt say were going to erase that. And i think that its also important for us to understand that just as were seeing now, many, many times the works that are being censored are works about freedom. They are works about equity. They are words about marginalization and how sometimes of marginalize might try trying and gain access. So the, the book that mostly are banned or books that are talking about just as they are talking about voice and live experience. But i believe frankly that it is everyones right to right. And to read freely, that is a core principle of library. And she, we have these 5 laws about librarianship. And one of them is every book its reader. And the 2nd is every reader. Its book, meaning their book, meaning that everyone has a right to read a story and every one, every author has the right to write a story and to seek to connect with an audience fighting censorship is a responsibility. Obviously, our mission requires us to enhance learning and to provide access to information for all, but it also means that we work on other issues like adult literacy, increasing access to instructions for adult pads of household. If we dont intervene in low literacy, we, we find families that are caught in both generational property as well as very limited generational access to education or educational obtainment. We work on universal broadband. Theyll believe that access to the internet, especially the access to employment, access to education and access to public health, largely depend on access to the internet these days that we fight for universal broadband that we begin to think about broadband as a basic utility like access to water or electricity or transportation, it means that we also work to support rule libraries and, and residents and rule communities where there hasnt been investment at the same level in some of the infrastructure. But tracy, even despite those efforts, as you mentioned at mr se rate, so pretty shocking. So 43000000 adults in the us cannot read or rise above a 3rd grade level. The department of education says there are a 130000000. 00 adults with low literacy skills. And you talked to that a lot about digital electricity as well. Im curious about how with technology on the internet, social media, and the way that our Attention Spans behave these days, and how few people actually pick up physical books. How do you begin to try to tackle any of that in the space that we live in . Now, we have to use technology as an accelerator, right . We . We then know that part of our strategy for supporting adults who have low literacy is technology. Because we know that people with the lowest level of literacy tend to not use the internet and m m. And thats important because if youre going to be filing taxes, if youre going to get up your tax returns and those kinds of things, if you want to be able to track your, your childs progress in school, you need access to the internet. You need to know how to use it if you want employment. We know that most jobs today, theres not a Health Warning sign in a window anywhere, job level level. Wages tend to require a certain level of not just reading literacy, but Digital Literacy. The answer, i think, to adult leaders, the instruction today is that we also do Digital Literacy simultaneously. But i think we want to understand why we have such low literacy. I think low literacy tends to be hand in hand with low wages. So i do think that we have normalized low literacy and some aspect of this countries the same way that we might have normalized for Housing Access or the standard education and certain communities. It really is about we shifting our values from opening our eyes and understanding that we wont get to the level of productivity in this country. We wont even get to the level sometimes of the people who care mostly about well, if we allow segments of the population to be completely left out of the market place and out of industry and out of our economy pricing, given how intelligent or is this is how do you then avoid being seen as taking a political position here . We have to resist this, this resistance effort to politicize the notion of access, access and equity are not political ideals. Theyre purely democratic, ideal. And they are ideals that i think undergird, many of our aspirations as societies all over the world. So i think what is it is important for those of us who work in libraries and for me is to keep our eyes on the prize. I became interested in, in libraries, i became a user of libraries because my grandmother saw them as a pathway to personal mobility for me and a right of access that she had been denied. And i became deeply interested in library because im really interested in the notion of justice and the support and of Community Development and community of live. And frankly, and i have to be honest because i love people. And i want the best for us as the community, and i want the best for an individual. And i saw librarianship as be way that i could contribute and give back and a way that i could be a part of solution finding. And so for me that is not a political, a part is an effort. It is a part of what i think the human a project is about is that we give as well as take tracy not so long ago. Are you right . Let my work on a my great grandmothers dreams from that one room schoolhouse over is years ago. Thank you so much for sharing your work with us here. Tracy hall, executive director of the American Library association. Thank you for talking to l. Just thank you for having the the states control and information controlling the narrative to dominate thing, the media. How does the narrative can pull Public Opinion and enormous fight . It might not be the most important story about china of the day, but thats what the big piece of attention to. How is citizenship . Listen, we played in the story. The listening post, i fixed the media. We dont cover the news, we cover the way the news is covered, the printing, the issues of the day, weve got to stop the intensive farming systems, the Climate Change protect disruption, otherwise we wouldnt be able to feed ourselves. Everyone has a voice. One of up here says pipe top immediately and says this is American Economic car wash. What would you say about the wash and light targeting dependence on economy . Me is targeting vulnerable, but its, its important to have this conversation we need to talk about and not about narrative. The street on al jazeera. We know whats happening in our region. We know how to get to places that others can know. As far as i said, im going all the way that you tell the story is what can make a difference. The defense chase of west african nation say theyve drawn up a plan for military intervention if news years crew leaders and dont see power. The hello, im kimberly healthcare. This is alice has 0 life and also coming up a Russian Court sentences kremlin critic and