More than 10,000 books were banned from public schools during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a new report from PEN America. Although the country saw a decline in the first eight months of 2024, the number of bans and challenges is still higher than in 2020, when the increase began, according to data from the American Library Association.
Book bans, as defined by the ALA, restrict access to materials by temporarily or indefinitely removing them, and are the subject of intense debate in courtrooms, classrooms, libraries, and living rooms.
That sparked a wave of advocacy. Banned Books Week is one such initiative, in which librarians at Book Sanctuaries stand in solidarity with school libraries facing similar challenges and bans from politicians and parents.
Libraries establish ‘book sanctuaries’ to protect the right to read
While protests such as rallies, holding literacy events, and even filing lawsuits are central to the fight against banned books, some libraries are taking quieter but equally impactful steps.
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In 2022, the Chicago Public Library declared itself a sanctuary for the book, a “physical or digital space that actively protects the freedom to read.” Book sanctuaries exist in classrooms, libraries, coffee shops, bookstores, and even private collections. Among other things, they collect banned or challenged books and make them easily available to readers.
Chicago has a decades-long history of fighting book bans. It was the first public library in the nation to issue a statement on intellectual freedom in 1936, prior to the creation of ALA’s Library Bill of Rights. According to Chris Brown, chairman of the Chicago Public Library, ALA was also housed there when it was first established.
“As we have seen an increase in challenges to these books, we recognize that we just want to reflect on our history and core values and remind everyone of what we stand for. “That was the moment,” Brown said.
From there, the movement progressed in a chain reaction. Libraries across the country turned to Chicago for help. There are currently more than 4,000 book sanctuaries across the United States.
The Hoboken Public Library became New Jersey’s first book sanctuary in 2023 after hosting a banned book reading that drew social media attacks primarily from outside the community. Library director Jenny Pugh said taking the stand as a sanctuary for books was a way to “enhance the voice of the majority.” She says there has been overwhelming support from the community. The entire city was then declared a sanctuary city for books.
“This is a declaration to the world that we don’t censor, we don’t ban books. In fact, we actively collect books and stories that have been banned,” Phu said. I say.
The majority of Americans do not support banning books. The ALA survey of nearly 1,500 voters and public school parents found that 71% oppose removing books from public libraries, including a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents. It turns out. A 2023 NPR poll found similar numbers across party lines.
Book reserves show broad community support
In Kentucky, the Paris-Bourbon County Library declared itself a “First Amendment Library” after one family took on the challenge of 102 books in a short period of time. Most of the titles were related to the experiences of marginalized people. Eliminating them would have gone “against everything I’ve ever believed in,” manager Mark Adler told USA TODAY.
He waited until the board made a decision. If the community agrees to the removal, he will resign. If they object to the challenge, he will “stay and fight for them.”
Opponents of the books’ removal outnumbered supporters by several hundred.
“We have people from across the political spectrum, we have people from both major political parties (on the board), and they have been very supportive. “I don’t feel like I have the right to tell them what to read, and I certainly don’t have the right to tell other people’s children what to read,” Adler says.
Recent laws across the United States allow school library titles containing sexual content to be removed and challenged, even if the content is not pornographic. Some people have used this provision to object to titles that include references to sexual violence or LGBTQ+ people or relationships.
According to the American Library Association, of the 4,240 unique book titles censored in 2023, 47% were about or by LGBTQ+ individuals or people of color.
“Our collections need to be diverse and reflect the society we live in, which means we can’t represent just one type of perspective,” says Phu. “[Library reserves]provide at least some basic protections so that librarians can do their jobs and manage thoughtful and diverse collections that include all kinds of voices.”
Even Texas, which has the second-highest number of book bans, felt an outpouring of support when the Harris County Public Library System declared itself and its branches sanctuaries for books.
As surrounding schools removed books from their shelves, Superintendent Edward Melton knew students needed a safe place to access information outside of the classroom. Book reserves have no legal guardrails, but they allow staff to work safely without threat of retaliation. Melton said he was also relieved to learn that the local government, the Commissioners Court, supports the right to read in Harris County.
“Initially, I thought I might be stepping into shark-infested waters, but I never really had that experience,” he says.
Since adopting this resolution last year, Harris County has fully embraced the fight against book bans. The county approved a downtown mural protesting the book ban. We also hold concerts and book talks in conjunction with Banned Books Week.
Chicago saw widespread support as well. A year after declaring public libraries book sanctuaries, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill making Illinois the first state to outlaw book bans.
“Basic rights that people really value”
Melton said much of the discussion about banning books is mired in semantics. He tackled the problem by going back to basics. When he uses the words “intellectual freedom” and “censorship,” he says people are connecting the dots about what’s actually going on.
Similarly, Adler and the Paris-Bourbon County Library chose the term “First Amendment Library.”
“I don’t care about your background or what you’re interested in reading,” Adler says. “If you’re interested in something or have a desire to learn about something, my responsibility as a librarian is to help you find resources.”
Melton encouraged librarians to first have thoughtful conversations with local government officials and avoid other political language they may have heard before becoming book sanctuaries. are.
“No one in America wants to be censored. We all want intellectual freedom in choosing what to read and what information to consume,” Melton said. says. “This is a fundamental right that people really value. So when you start talking about taking away someone’s intellectual freedom, that’s when the community really stands up.”
And while libraries are on the front lines, Brown says anyone can participate. If you’re an influencer, you might end up making videos about banned books. A cafe or bookstore might display frequently challenged titles.
“The more voices that point out the importance of this, which isn’t necessarily working in the field, the more we send a message that this is an important issue and it’s something that affects people,” Brown said. says.
Contributor: Anna Kaufman