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Monday 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

New York Civil Liberties Union - Capital Region office

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New York Civil Liberties Union - Capital Region office

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BECAUSE FREEDOM CAN'T PROTECT ITSELF We seek to preserve and enhance the principles embodied in the United States and the New York State constitutions.

Like its parent organization, the ACLU, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Capital Region Chapter is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization devoted exclusively to protecting the civil liberties of all persons, and to extending them to persons traditionally denied fundamental rights. The Chapter receives no governmental funding and is supported by individual contributions, grants from foundations, and more than 2,800 dues-paying NYCLU members in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga, Washington, Warren, Columbia and Greene counties. Through litigation, advocacy and public education, we strive to ensure that the civil liberties guaranteed to all of us by the Constitution are not infringed by the government or private individuals. Since our founding in 1991, the chapter has challenged racism and police brutality, and defended freedom of expression and privacy, including reproductive choice, right here in your community. We have protected people of color, women, lesbians and gays, and handicapped persons from discrimination. We have sought to expand the rights of the mentally ill and the homeless, and to establish the right to counsel in landlord/tenant cases. We have fought to secure the right of students to an education free of censorship. The Capital Region Chapter is a visible and articulate defender of civil liberties. Staff and board members appear frequently in the media, and in public forums to educate and promote the individual rights and fundamental freedoms that our nation is based upon.

11/01/2026

Only a few more days to vote!

10/09/2026

A huge thank you to all of our wonderful readers who lent their voices to tonight’s Banned Books Readout at 518 Craft!

Melissa Putterman- Hoffmann
Gary Hoffmann
Carol Charniga
Kirsten Ferguson
Laura Graver
Rachel Stewart
Patrick White
Dr. Ashley Bennett

Each of these amazing readers brought something powerful and personal to the evening, reminding us why stories matter, why diverse voices deserve to be heard, and why the freedom to read is worth defending.

Censorship thrives in silence. Tonight, they helped make sure there was none.

We are so grateful for your time, your talent, your courage, and your commitment to intellectual freedom. And thank you to everyone who came out to listen, support, and stand with us.

Books belong in the hands of readers, not in the crosshairs of censors. ❤️📚

Thank you to David Girard, Shikole Struber and the great staff at 518 Craft. Thanks to our great co-sponsors Collar City Pride and Albany NY Alumnae Chapter of DST.

Thanks for making this Banned Books Week so special. And call Governor Hochul and ask her to sign the Freedom to Read act into law!

10/08/2026

We're so excited to have Ashley Bennett read at our Troy Banned Books Readout tomorrow! She's selected - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison!

Dr. Ashley L. Bennett was born and raised in Houston, TX, and began her career in higher education admissions at Oklahoma City University and Wiley College. After returning to Houston, she worked as a college counselor
at St. Agnes Academy before being named Director of College Counseling at KIPP Sunnyside High School in 2019. In 2021, Dr. Bennett joined Emma Willard School in Troy as Director of College Counseling. An active leader and speaker on equity and access in education, she is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), former Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region,, as well as a member of the DEIB Advisory Board for Smith
College. With over 20 years in the profession, Dr. Bennett
frequently presents on topics including microaggressions, code-switching, and the intersection of race and gender in admissions. She holds a bachelor’s
degree from The University of Oklahoma, a master’s from the University of Central Oklahoma, and a doctorate in ethical leadership from the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Bennett is a member of the Albany NY Alumnae Chapter of DST!

10/07/2026

Thank you to tonight’s 2026 Banned Books Readout Readers!

The Day the Books Disappeared by Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Joanna Ho
Read by Kathleen Carey

Sold by Patricia McCormick
Read by Q. Sales

The Bible
Read by James Yeara

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Read by A.C. Everson

The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas
Read by Steve Werthner

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Read by Gary Maggio

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Read by Bob Resnick

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Read by Jennifer Harder

Kindred by Octavia Butler
Read by Sandra Quince

Special thanks to our co-sponsors as well!

Albany Public Library, League of Women Voters of Albany County, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, and Albany Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Special thanks to everyone that attended!

10/05/2026

Want to know more about book bans and Banned Books Week events? You can go here:

Students deserve to see their diverse experiences and communities reflected in the classroom. But right-wing extremists across the country, including in New York, have aggressively pushed to suppress books about communities of color and LGBTQ+ people. Banning certain books, ideas, or themes threaten...

10/05/2026

Tomorrow is the big day! It's the annual Banned Books Readout at Albany NY Library! We're thrilled that Sandra Quince will be reading from Kindred by Octavia Butler!

Sandra Quince is a transformative executive leader with deep expertise in strategic leadership, workforce development, and inclusion. At Bank of America, she oversees business operations and strategy across Workforce Development and Arts & Heritage, while leading the company’s Leader on Loan Program.

Previously, Sandra served as CEO of Paradigm for Parity (P4P) through the Leader on Loan Program, where she secured the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Impact Grant and expanded the coalition’s national influence.
Recognized as one of the most inspiring D&I leaders of 2022, Sandra’s thought leadership has been featured in Essence, Fast Company, and Bloomberg Radio. She also serves on the boards of the National Council of Nonprofits and Greenwood Rising. She is a member of the Albany NY Alumnae Chapter of DST.

10/05/2026

Can't make it to our Albany NY Library Banned Books event on Tuesday? Come ot our event on Thursday at 518 Craft! We have Melissa Putterman Hoffman reading from Speak!

Melissa has been active in area theater for over 50 years. During that time she has acted, produced, stage managed and directed in area theaters. Most recently you may have seen her in Steel Magnolias at SCP or in Maggie May at ACT, or as Grandma in Pippin at SLOC (where incidentally she met her husband in 1989). When not on stage, Melissa has been an educator for Planned Parenthood, a school social worker, an adoption worker, a volunteer at the Center for Refugees and Immigrants, and an active member of the B'nai Sholom Reform Congregation, where she recently completed a 2 year term as president. Melissa attributes her passion about reading and having access to reading materials of choice to her desire to make the world a better, more equitable and nurturing place for her children and for all our children.

Address

42 State Street, Suite 612
Albany, NY
12207

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15184368594

Website

https://www.nyclu.org/en/chapters/capital-region

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