3 July 2023
Author Judy Blume delivered a rousing keynote message to officially open the 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference program on June 23 in Chicago, thanking librarians for defending the freedom to read in their communities and insisting that more be done to combat a politically-organized surge in book bans. "If ever there was a chance to say thank you, this is the year this do it," Blume told to a packed ballroom at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. "To tell you all how much we appreciate you, and to give you all our support."
