Let's Not Ban Books Anymore

Ever. We know how that started and ended the last time.

“I think we should throw those books in a fire.”

Rabih Abuismail, Courtland, VA School Board Representative (The Washington Post).

Scott Dworkin - If you’re afraid that books might change someone’s thinking, you’re not afraid of books, you’re afraid of thinking.

“Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.” Heinrich Heine

Libraries have been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, our family went to the local public library frequently; our parents always remarked how quiet the car was on the way home because each of us was engrossed in our new books. My older sister once wrote an essay starting “Other families went to baseball games….our family went to the library.” Books and learning were family values instilled in us very early by our parents and grandparents. 

As a young teen, my first paid employment was as a ‘page’ at the local branch library. I remember shelving books, checking out books for patrons ( long before self check-outs), and understanding that the world of books was the domain of librarians and library employees. One responsibility was nighttime lock-up of the library, requiring a trip to the basement and boiler room to turn off all the lights prior to returning to the main floor. It was a bit creepy to be sure, but the library staff remained and we all left the building together.  As I shelved and checked-out books, I saw glimpses of many topics, genres, and covers, some of which were beyond my understanding, or interest for that matter. I was free to explore books as I completed the tasks of the job. Was everything appropriate for a 14 year old to be browsing through? Possibly not, though I don’t recall being traumatized by anything. Additionally, I had the freedom to learn about things that were unfamiliar. Teens are inquisitive and questioning, and have the desire to explore and learn about their world - this may include studying historic figures (biographies), things (travel, sport, everything from anteaters to zebras), nature, theater, music, and the human body (including sexuality).

Both of my parents were Library Trustees of our suburban library. Mom’s Trustee term was when I was in elementary school, dad’s was after I became an adult. Mom would often be in a library meeting and I would be in the Children’s Room, under the watchful eye of the children’s librarian. During mom’s term as a Trustee and as President, I frequently recall her talking about library business – the budget, the new building erected during her term, and most of all, the books. I don’t recall discussions about book censorship or banning, though they may have occurred. Each time we left the library it was with an arm- or  bag- ful of books to hold us over for the next week or so (pre-Kindle time). Though I chose a career path in medicine and academia, my brother received a degree in Library and Information Science and has been an information services/library professional for three decades.

A cross-country mid-pandemic move introduced me to my new local public library, initially via the drive-up window since the building was closed (April 2020). Of course obtaining a library card was among the first things done after unpacking the moving van. Soon after, I was elected as a Library Trustee, joining the Board in June 2021, immediately becoming part of the COVID discussion including vaccine policies and mask mandates. The learning curve was steep as I was taught about the library budget, the Innovation Center, the Library of Things, various departments and challenges, and book acquisition, called collection management. Collection management is the term for choosing which books are included in a library’s collection. It is via a library’s collection management policy that decisions are made regarding library holdings. A document such as a ‘request for reconsideration of library materials’ would be the vehicle for a citizen to question library holdings.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise in today’s political environment, but the most significant challenge to library personnel and Trustees is censorship and book bans.  In late 2021, Publishers Weekly identified An Organized Effort to Ban Books in Schools and Libraries as a top issue for 2022. They were absolutely correct. Since January, there have been numerous challenges to various books and libraries. In Walton County, Florida, ‘Everywhere Babies,’ a picture book celebrating infants is being challenged, appearingly due to an illustration of a man placing his arm on another man's shoulder. In April, Llano, Texas was the location of a challenge, a local woman submitted a list of 60 books she found objectionable, on topics like transgender teens, race, sex education, gender. Even books explaining puberty, due to nude pictures or illustrations, were requested to be pulled from the shelf as ‘pornography’. There are many other examples of book censorship or attempted banning, across the country. Another Florida challenge, and the highly publicized removal of Art Spiegelman’s Maus from the curriculum in Tennessee earlier this year because it it depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats are the most recent publicized challenges with an increasing velocity of challenges this year. PEN America found 1,586 book bans targeting 1,145 unique books occurring between July 2021 and April 2022. The censorship movement is moving to electronic access and library apps  in addition to books.

Given the current political climate, it is anticipated that these challenges will continue and increase nationwide. Notably, there are small but growing pushback efforts. Late last year, the Illinois Library Association, in concert with the American Library Association, published statements responding to widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. schools and libraries. In March, The Texas Library Association publicized the formation of a grassroots coalition, Texans for the Right to Read, to "amplify and unify the voices of librarians, educators, parents, students, authors, and others" who oppose the growing effort to ban books from schools and libraries across the state of Texas. 

An OpEd by Ned Burns (D-ID) ‘The job of protecting your child from exposure to books falls on your shoulders rightly places the onus of what a child would or should not read, on the parents, not the library. A parent is free to protect their child from literature they consider inappropriate FOR THAT CHILD. A parent is NOT free to extend that protection beyond their family. Censorship is a two way street -  your book ban prevents my child’s freedom to explore topics of their choice. Parents are not responsible for making decisions for a child that is not theirs. Banned books are often literary classics, guides to puberty, or information regarding emerging sexuality or various rites of passage. A questioning child or teen deserves to see themself reflected in a library’s books. It is unclear why libraries have come under fire for these issues, when most children and adolescents have access to the Internet and all it holds, including music, videos, and various sites which are without a doubt inappropriate. To that end, the Brooklyn Public Library recently started a program offering free eCards to teens across the nation who face book bans in their local communities. 

Unite Against Book Bans is a ‘national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship.’ I believe that limiting young people’s access to books and information does not insulate them from complex and challenging issues in our society. Reading and learning is crucial to an educated, democratic society. Finally, I believe what the American Library Association states —  that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. For this reason, I have chosen to make anti-censorship in libraries my platform in my role as  Library Trustee. Libraries and books have been so important to me for my entire life, and I fervently believe they should be available to all without risk of censorship or removal. Children and teens, along with their parents, can make decisions about what they can read or believe without censorship.