September Blog Post
I’ve been monitoring the incredible stories related censorship and libraries across the United States over the past year which is one for the history books. In my lifetime, I’ve seen few years like this past one when it comes to the number of materials people are asking to be removed from library shelves, from school curriculums, and to be taken out of stores for purchase. One of my colleagues at AWC and I were discussing censorship and challenged materials in libraries a couple of weeks ago. She wanted to know how I have handled challenged materials in the past because it rarely happens in colleges and universities, at least until this past year. I have experienced it a few times. The first time was after 9/11 and after the USA Patriot Act had been passed into law and the FBI came to where I was working. They inquired after one specific student reading material. At that time I was working on a project with the U.S. Department of State and the FBI wanted to know if this particular student had anything to do with that project. They also wanted to see what books this student read during the time they were at the university and what Internet sites this student viewed or visited. I refused. Under the USA Patriot Act I could have gone to jail, but fortunately for me, my boss had come on and took the agents to his office and managed the situation from there. I never knew the outcome after that.
The second time was in a different position where I worked in a Fine Arts Library where Madonna’s book, Sex, was kept in Special Collections. There were requests to remove it from the collection however it was used in both photography and art courses, thus was kept in the collection. The last time was not really a challenge, but more a question regarding why a book was allowed in the library’s collection when it was about a horrible topic, rape. The book was really a book of poetry where the author discussed her own rape and how the stages she went through as she healed from it albeit, she never really healed. Domestic violence is a topic which requires a lot of discussion and conversation. Library collections are not easy nor comfortable and should never reflect the personal choices of the librarian, but should support the interests and needs of the community they serve. In my case as an academic librarian, the collection support the curriculum and reading interests of the student and faculty. In our conversations, my library colleagues and I frequently discuss selection of materials to ensure we are getting the right materials and diverse perspective represented.
September 18-24, 2022 is Banned Books Week is the one of the most important times of any librarian’s year as it provides an opportunity to showcase the wide variety of materials which people find difficult to understand as well as a time to celebrate the reading of any book published. During this week, we have an opportunity to remind people that books are still being challenged or banned in libraries around the world. It is also a chance to educate people about the rise in challenged materials across the United States by people who mostly are acting or reacting from a place of fear. Censorship is often an extreme form of panic or terror. I have found from my own experience the best way of alleviating it is education and kindness.
The books banned this past year reflect a nation in fear of their world changing. Many of them are related to sex, specifically LGBTQ+ or those materials written by minority authors who also may openly discuss sex within their stories. PEN America published an outstanding report earlier this week on the school book bans. Below are some of their stats:
- From July 2021 to June 2022, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans lists 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles.
- The 1,648 titles are by 1,261 different authors, 290 illustrators, and 18 translators, impacting the literary, scholarly, and creative work of 1,553 people altogether.
Additionally, the American Library Association’s President, Lessa Pelayo-Lozada, issued this preliminary data to ALA members, regarding book ban data includes:
Between January 1 and August 31, 2022, ALA documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, and 1,651 unique titles were targeted. In 2021, ALA reported 729 attempts to censor library resources, targeting 1,597 books, which represented the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling these lists more than 20 years ago.
Additionally, more than 70 percent of the 681 attempts to restrict library resources targeted multiple titles. In the past, the vast majority of challenges to library resources only sought to remove or restrict a single book.
Another potential censor may be an in-house editor or publisher. One article I read was also from a LinkedIn post about banned books. In this case, the author was reflecting on George Orwell for a book chapter she was researching. Orwell’s most famous book, 1984, is one of most censored and banned books of all time which is ironic for those who have read it since it is all about censorship, banned books, and burning books.
I hope you will join me in reading banned books. Take a look at the top ten most challenged books of 2021.