The Ohio State University has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to support the Unite to Read Project (URP).

The URP is an innovative, two-year initiative to engage the university community and the public in efforts to expand access to literature and engage in meaningful discussions about books and ideas. Directed by Associate Professor of Comparative Studies, Ashley Hope Pérez, in conjunction with Professor of Teaching and Learning, Patricia Enciso and Professor of Comparative Studies, Barry Shank, the initiative was developed in response to the unprecedented levels of censorship affecting U.S. school and community libraries. “As a former high school English teacher, I frequently participate in interviews, podcasts, op-eds, and essays to explain how students lose the most when access to literature is restricted,” said Pérez. 

The URP brings together university experts, community advocates, and partner organizations to develop high-quality educational materials and public programming.  The initiative will collaborate with a diverse network of organizations supporting young people’s access to a broad range of literature. By partnering with national, regional, and university stakeholders, the URP will coordinate events and programming that reinforce the importance of intellectual freedom. Within Ohio State, the project is supported by University Libraries, the Humanities Institute, and the Arts and Sciences Office of Distance Education. 

Additional partners include EveryLibrary.org, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, We Need Diverse Books, Freedom to Learn Advocates, Penguin Random House, the Highlights Foundation, ReadCon Research Group, Brooklyn Public Library, Salt Lake City Public Library, and Columbus Metropolitan Library. “We are grateful to work with this amazing and caring Unite to Read team to amplify the voices of storytellers and find ways to bring books to readers during this unprecedented time of bans and erasure,” said Alison Green Myers, program director of the Highlights Foundation.

With virtual programming, URP will highlight both the literary significance of books facing removal from libraries and the broader implications of censorship. These initiatives include author discussions, and a multi-week virtual institute designed to provide training, material resources, and funding to support creative initiatives that promote access to literature. “Through creativity, education and collaboration URP will foster dynamic conversations that explore the purpose and value of literature,” said Pérez.