“The library can be a great refuge, if you will, for people who are questioning.” ~ Diane Kresh

What happens to intellectual freedom when libraries come under attack? What happens to curiosity?

Librarian and director of the Department of Libraries in Arlington, VA, Diane Kresh joins me to explore the long and storied history of bad-ass librarians, book bans and book sanctuaries, the “curiosity paradox” of such bans, what makes libraries a center for community, and how curiosity is like an insatiable puppy.

Curiosity begets curiosity, and then we find ourselves becoming much more familiar. And as we become more familiar with lives different than ours, we become more tolerant and accepting of them.

Listen to Ep. #286: Curiosity, Book Bans & Bad-Ass Librarians, with Diane Kresh

Diane Kresh is Director of the Department of Libraries in Arlington, VA, a book sanctuary.

Check out this nice 2016 NPR coverage of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, by Joshua Hammer.

Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. Report censorship here to American Library Association.

Dig into The Human Library, with Ronni Abergel and my fascinating discussion about Censorship: Curiosity Curtailed, with Molly Roberts.

I enjoyed having these wonderful guests on the show, who also happen to have appeared at Arlington Public Library: Writing Fiction, with Laura McBride; “Be Curious, Allow Your Heart & Your Mind to Open, with Amina Luqman-Dawson and Curiosity & the Gift of Uncertainty, with Maggie Jackson.

Theme music by Sean Balick; “4 Point Path” by The Bulwark, via Blue Dot Sessions.

You can subscribe to Choose to Be Curious on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.