“It Starts With Books”
A Recap of the Convening
by Ron Krall, Stand Advisory Council Chair
I’m so pleased to share some wonderful feedback we had from our October 9, 2025 convening, “It Starts With Books,” which highlighted the efforts of some to ban books and information held in schools, libraries, archives, and bookstores. The right to read belongs to all of us and the Steamboat community came together to discuss how we can stand up to censorship. Special thanks to students form the Steamboat Springs High School Social Justice Club who were prime contributors to the convening and donated the proceeds of their t-shirt sales to BookTrails.
Below is an except of a note I received after the event from Emily Osterman, Executive Director of BookTrails of Steamboat, whose mission is to inspire children of varied backgrounds to develop a life-long love of reading, a passion for the outdoors and respect for the natural environment.
Dear Social Justice Committee,
I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude and admiration for last night’s event with STAND. The thoughtfulness, courage, and wisdom each of you brought to the conversation on book banning was extraordinary. Your words moved me deeply—especially Duke’s powerful remarks—and reminded me how capable and compassionate young people can be when they speak from conviction.
I was especially touched to see so many familiar faces—Lyla, Stella, Meila, and others—who grew up through BookTrails. It fills me with pride and hope to see you already creating ripples of change in this world. You are living proof that stories, knowledge, and empathy can spark real action.
Your decision to donate proceeds from the evening’s merchandise sales to BookTrails was an incredible and emotional surprise. We are so honored by your support. At BookTrails, we are constantly exploring and teaching the importance of diverse stories—books that help children understand the vast range of human experience, the challenges people face, and the connections that unite us all. It’s through these stories that empathy grows, and that’s exactly what you modeled so beautifully last night.
Please know how grateful we are for your efforts and how inspired we are by your leadership. The work you are doing truly brings light and hope into a world that needs both. I encourage you to keep speaking out, reading widely, and building bridges through understanding—it will be our future.