Two Broomfield residents have banded together to spread information and encourage the sharing of stories by creating a little library full of commonly banned books.

“About six months ago, my son and I were walking down the street and saw this cute little library,” Broomfield resident Jenna Tullberg said. “We were talking about how there’s certain books that he’s read and that we’ve read together that are on the banned book list, and I mentioned how cool it would be for us to have something that would provide access to those books and bring education on the subject.”

Some commonly banned books in the United States include “Catcher in the Rye,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” according to the American Library Association.

“There are books we’ve read that are on the list of banned books that are amazing, life-changing stories,” Tullberg said. “These are teaching people to free their minds and think for themselves … and that’s what’s being prevented. (Censorship) prevents us from learning and experiencing other things, and we can’t have that in a society.”

Tullberg and her neighbor, Monica Garcia, worked together to put together the little library. A little library, commonly registered with the Little Free Library nonprofit organization, is a small box or stand full of books that are free for community members to take. The stand isn’t out every day, as it’s not yet weatherproof, but contains a multitude of banned books, many of which were donated by community members.

Tullberg said that she made a post in one of Broomfield’s community Facebook groups talking about the little library and encouraging community members to donate any commonly banned books they’d like to see at the stand.

“We’ve gotten at least a dozen books, people have dropped them off or ordered them to me through Amazon,” she said. “I never expected to get a response like that from the post.”

Tullberg has been working with Garcia on the library, building up their supply of books and making plans for a weatherproof version of the stand.

“I have been desperate to find any small ways that I can help our country, and when I heard that public schools and libraries are banning some extremely important literature, I felt I had to do something,” Garcia said. “I believe in the power of voices and the power of literature, so I just started doing everything I can.”

Garcia said that national political attitudes and events have spurred on the project, and that the little library is a way for her to advocate for her communities.

“I’m part of the LGBTQ+ community, and I’ve always felt I needed to have a voice for that community. I’m also a huge advocate for our immigrants, I have a Mexican background and a family that is full of immigrants. I’m also a woman — and all those populations are serious targets,” she said.The American Library Association keeps a list of books that have been banned somewhere in the country, and cites LGBTQ themes and stories about people of color to be a large number of banned books. In its data from 2023, the most recent available, for example, the group cites the two most challenged books in the country as “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson.

“There are many reasons these books are being banned, and part of it is that people don’t want to hear our stories anymore,” Garcia said. “They’re scared that we’re going to become too powerful, so it’s just very deep and personal for me to be able to do this.”

Garcia recommended “The Handmaid’s Tale” for reading banned books, and Tullberg suggests some of the classics that are often challenged, such as, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

“Libraries and books have been such a huge piece of our historical context, of fighting for freedom and educating ourselves,” Tullberg said. “As much as it may seem small, it’s a really big deal.”