Banned Books Week 2020 (September 27 - October 3)
“Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 3, 2020) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.”
-American Library Association
On the following pages, we have included ten incidences of censorship that have taken place since 2019. In half of these cases, the censorship was successfully put into place. However, the other half of these cases illustrate instances where it was stopped thanks to the voices who fought against it. Censorship is a dead end in…
Missouri and Tennessee
Earlier this year, a bill was proposed in Missouri which would make it so that elected review boards would get to decide what materials are age-appropriate and will be made available to minors within public libraries. These committees outlined in House Bill 2044, or the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act, would not allow public librarians to serve on the board. If librarians were to refuse the board’s decision, they would face fines and possible jail time. The representative who introduced the bill later admitted that the bill was created due to his opposition of Drag Queen Story Hours being held in libraries. A month later, House Bill 2721 and its companion Senate Bill 2896, were proposed in Tennessee. These are similar to the Missouri bill, calling for the same type of board to decide what children are allowed access to in a public library. Read the Missouri and Tennessee Library Associations’ statements on the next page.
Sources: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/82189-the-week-in-libraries-january-17-2020.html https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/82552-tennessee-becomes-second-state-to-propose- parental-review-boards-for-public-libraries.html The Missouri Library Association’s Statement:
“The Missouri Library Association is aware of and monitoring Missouri House Bill 2044 (known as the ‘Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act’) and any other legislation that has an impact on libraries. The Missouri Library Association will always stand against censorship and for the freedom to read, and therefore opposes Missouri House Bill 2044. The Missouri Library Association is committed to supporting all types of libraries. MLA exists to support the mission, vision, and values of those libraries, which connect their communities to vital resources. We support the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement. Public libraries exist to provide equitable access to information to all of its users, as it is key to having an informed populace. Public libraries already have procedures in place to assist patrons in protecting their own children while not infringing upon the rights of other patrons or restricting materials. Missouri Library Association will always oppose legislation that infringes on these rights.”
The Tennessee Library Association’s Statement:
“The Tennessee Library Association (TLA) continues to monitor Tennessee House Bill 2721 and its companion Senate Bill 2896, also known as the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act. Although the proposed legislation remains in the early stages of the legislative process, TLA continues to communicate our opposition to this bill to legislators. Governing boards and librarians within each community already endeavor to provide enriching and valuable reading/viewing materials and programs to their users. Local boards already possess the full authority to set policies for their library’s public meeting spaces, and work hard to provide equal access to those spaces. HB2721/SB2896 mandates the election of oversight panels to make final decisions regarding library materials ‘of any kind,’ therefore undermining the authority of existing library boards to set and maintain policies granted within the Tennessee Code. Therefore, TLA feels the proposal, if enacted, would mandate unnecessary and duplicated legislation, placing an added burden of government oversight on local library boards. TLA is proud of our ongoing partnership with state lawmakers to meet the needs of our public libraries and the communities they serve. Should HB 2127/SB 2896 continue to take shape, TLA is committed to continuing our work to protect the free and open access to information within Tennessee libraries.”
Sources: http://molib.org/mla-statement-on-hb2044/ https://www.tnla.org/news/491274/UPDATED-TLA-Statement-on-Parental-Oversight-Bill.htm
Find your freedom to read in...
Maine
The current obscenity law in Maine contains an exemption when it comes to public schools, allowing for materials that contain obscene content to be taught for educational value so long as it is not the content in its entirety. However, after a representative found that her child was reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami in his high school class, she proposed a new bill to change that. Proposed bill LD 94 would have eliminated the public school exemption, leading to school staff to face a possible Class C felony if they presented “obscene” books to children. The representative claimed that the threat of a felony was not her intention, but it was still included in the proposed bill. In February of 2019, the bill was voted “ought not to pass”.
Sources: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/17/title17sec2911.html https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=17127
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami is available for all at Wayne Public Library! Censorship is a dead end in…
Nashville, Tennessee
The Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling has been a point of controversy since the first book was published in 1999. Over 20 years later, it is still being challenged and banned across the world. In September 2019, the series was removed from a Catholic school by the pastor because of the books’ use of magic. After allegedly consulting multiple exorcists, he concluded that the books “...present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception.” He also warned that the curses and spells used in books are real and that they have the potential to conjure evil spirits by the person reading the texts.
Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harry-potter-books-banned-nashville-catholic-school-bans-series-read-by-a-human-being-risk- conjuring-evil-spirits/ https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=10636
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling is available for all at Wayne Public Library! Find your freedom to read in...
Palmer, Alaska
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a school district voted to remove five books from their eleventh grade reading list, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. The board members were given a one page flier to help them reach a decision on the ban. The flier included a brief summary of each book, as well as an even briefer description of why the books were being challenged.
The ban not only got the attention of locals, but also made the news nationally. A local bookstore accepted donations in order to get the books into the hands of students or parents for free. One of the largest donations they received was from a foundation started by the band Portugal. The Man, whose members were alumni of the same school district. A few weeks later, the board met again and reversed their decision, allowing for the five books to remain on the reading list.
Sources: https://apnews.com/37fdf1c4388f628028738cd4e887ea0f https://go.boarddocs.com/ak/matsu/Board.nsf/files/BNQSWL743B16/$file/English%20Electives%20Round%201% 20Controversial%20Book%20Descriptions.pdf https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/us/alaska-school-board-books-removed/index.html https://ncac.org/news/alaska-community-unites-in-opposition-to-book-ban
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison are available for all at Wayne Public Library! Censorship is a dead end in…
Loudoun County, Virginia
Public schools in Loudoun County, Virginia started a program to diversify classroom libraries in 2019. New titles added included books on race, culture, language, religion, ability, and LGBTQ+ identities; later that year, several of the LGBTQ+ titles were challenged. Books were reviewed on a title by title basis. While some were retained, others such as The Pants Project by Cat Clarke were re-leveled.
Author David Levithan commented on the situation: “I published my first Young Adult novel, Boy Meets Boy 16 years ago, which means that for 16 years I’ve witnessed the importance of getting LGBTQ+ literature into the hands of children and teenagers. For LGBTQ+ kids, the literature can be a lifeline – a word that is not a metaphor here. It is an actual lifeline, telling kids their lives have worth, and giving them the strength to keep on going even when they want to give up on life itself. And for kids who don’t identify as LGBTQ+, the books provide a window into what kids around them are going through, which helps them become better allies and better people. Books are one of the safest and most valuable ways to learn about difference and build empathy. We authors don’t create the world with our stories. Instead, we show the world as it is and as it can be. The power of that certainly scares some people; but for the kids who need it, it’s essential.”
Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/some-northern-virginia-parents-wanted-two-books-with-lgbtq-characters-removed -from-schools-officials-said-no/2020/01/15/06f8be0e-36df-11ea-bb7b-265f4554af6d_story.html https://ncac.org/news/lgbtq-books-challenged-loudoun-county-virginia-school-libraries https://www.loudountimes.com/opinion/commentary-loudoun-county-students-have-the-right-to-see-themselves/article_14d6dd36- 0a24-11ea-921c-8bccab39f083.html
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke is available for all at Wayne Public Library! Find your freedom to read in...
Cheyenne, Wyoming
The graphic novel Drama by Raina Telgemeier received a challenge from an elementary school parent citing that the book “Praises normalization of the LGBTQ community.” It was offered that the parents could have a note placed on their child’s account that would prevent them from being able to check out LGBTQ+ books, however they still pushed for removal. A meeting of the District Reconsideration Committee voted unanimously to keep the book in school libraries, a decision that was supported by the school superintendent.
A fourteen year old student in the district spoke in defense of the book during the meeting, stating: “In fifth grade, I started to notice I have feelings for other girls. In my head, it didn’t seem right because, in all honesty, I’m a book kid, and every book I read ended up with the prince and the princess.”
Another fifteen year old student commented: “I think I realized I wasn’t straight probably around 8 years old. I think that if we take books like this, or even this book, specifically out of our libraries, it sends a message to kids that [not being straight is] a negative thing, it’s not OK, they are not accepted in our school district. I think it would hurt the mental health of a lot of students, and make things 10 times harder, when it’s already a really stressful thing in a world where it’s not always accepted.”
Sources: https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/lcsd1-committee-unanimously-votes-to-keep-book-in-schools/article_903294aa- 051f-5d8b-922f-3f7492853c00.html https://adventuresincensorship.com/blog/2020/1/28/drama-in-cheyenne
Drama by Raina Telgemeier is available for all at Wayne Public Library! Censorship is a dead end in…
Columbia County, Georgia
Supplemental reading books for Columbia County schools are recommended by the District Reading Resources Professional Learning Community, reviewed by two teachers, and then submitted to the superintendent for approval. Previously, if a book contained questionable material, parents would be given the option of having their student receive a redacted copy. Last October, however, the superintendent removed three books from the list. Among these books were Dear Martin by Nic Stone and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. She admitted that their district had no selection policy, but said “We absolutely recognize we should because books like Dear Martin and the content in that book – it’s not a book that we would want sitting on a shelf.”
Despite the other books that were approved also containing explicit language, the superintendent claimed that the removed books could not even be offered as redacted versions because “the content was extreme.” Dear Martin author Nic Stone appeared at the Columbia County Library to address her book being removed, and a local book store donated over 300 copies of the book to middle and high school students.
Sources: https://www.wjbf.com/csra-news/dear-martin-author-nic-stone-visits-columbia-county-after-book-removal/ https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=19469 https://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20191008/columbia-county-schools-limit-novel-choices-for-high-school-students
Dear Martin by Nic Stone and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time by Mark Haddon are available for all at Wayne Public Library! Find your freedom to read in...
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
High school English teachers included books The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely as summer reading assignment options. The local Fraternal Order of Police chapter president claimed that he received complaints about the inclusion of the books, which were described as having “anti-police” messages. The principal of the school backed the teachers on their choice and the two books remained on the reading list. She received an Intellectual Freedom Award and was thanked by the three authors in a video message.
In the video, Angie Thomas states: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you — not so much for fighting for my book, but for fighting for your students. At the end of the day, this is what this is about. This is about making sure that all kids get books where they can see themselves or they can see others, whether or not it makes the adults in their lives uncomfortable.”
Sources: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/wando-principal-recognized-for-standing-her-ground-on-the-hate-u-give-assignment/ article_5d5a5980-44d0-11e9-8b72-efc3775d92a9.html https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-area-police-protest-the-hate-u-give-school-assignment/article_facc8330-7df9-11e8 -8a0a-8331f0a41cbe.html
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandan Kiely are available for all at Wayne Public Library! Censorship is a dead end in…
Leander, Texas
In 2019, author Lilah Sturges was set to host a program at Leander Public Library where she was going to talk about her book, Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, to the Graphic Novel Book Club. Two hours before the scheduled event, it was cancelled by the city. The city claimed temporary changes to the library event policies (which had not been voted on) and the lack of a background check (which Sturges had not been informed of) as the reasons for the cancellation. However, library staff and a city councilwoman believed that the treatment was discriminatory against the transgender author.
The library had prior issues with city government officials and “temporary room bans” due to Drag Queen Story Hours and other Pride related events. It was ultimately voted upon to end private meeting room rentals and require background checks on library presenters with programs dealing with anyone under the age of eighteen.
Sources: https://communityimpact.com/austin/leander-cedar-park/city-county/2019/08/16/room-rentals-are-out-background-checks-are-in-for- leander-public-library/ http://cbldf.org/2019/07/tx-councilwoman-calls-for-justiceforlilah/ https://ncac.org/news/advocacy-alert-support-trans-author-in-texas
Lumberjanes: The infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges, as well as other books in the Lumberjanes series, are available for all at Wayne Public Library! Find your freedom to read in...
South Dakota
Earlier this year, House Bill 1215 was proposed in South Dakota which would prohibit public schools and libraries from hosting Drag Queen Story Hours. In addition, it also would prohibit gay marriage, the banning of conversion therapy, sex changes on a birth certificate, and more targeting gender and sexuality. However, the bill was withdrawn by its prime sponsor within less than a month.
Sources: https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislative_Session/Bills/Bill.aspx?File=HB1215P.html&Session=2020&Version=Introduced&Bill=1215 https://sdlegislature.gov/legislative_session/bills/Bill.aspx?Bill=1215&Session=2020
Titles that are popular for Drag Queen Story Hours are available for all at Wayne Public Library!
Examples include: Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love Red: a Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall The Family Book by Todd Parr Teddy’s Favorite Toy by Christian Trimmer And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and more!