Once more Mark Your Calendars: The 2022 celebration of Banned Books Week will be September 18 – 24. As supporters of Banned Books Week we are proud to announce that George M. Johnson has been named Honorary Chair for Banned Books Week 2022. The critically acclaimed author will lead the weeklong event, which brings awareness to the harms of censorship.
Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to the attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Banned Books Week 2022 has the theme “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign that celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged books. It is an effort to spotlight 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.
Lately there have been numerous attempts to ban or censor books across the nation. Mark Twain. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Judy Blume. William Shakespeare. “These names share something more than a legacy of classic literature and a place on school curriculums: They’re just some of the many authors whose work has been banned from classrooms over the years for content deemed controversial, obscene, or otherwise objectionable by authorities.”
Emily Davis presents an astute perspective on why banning books are not the solution. “Banned books teach important moments in history. Students need to learn about the history of our world from another perspective than in a history class. Like in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, a story of hypocrisy and racial prejudice is told in an Alabama courtroom. According to the American Library Association, the two main reasons for the banning of this book are the use of racist language and the mention of rape allegations, but it tells a realistic story of life in Alabama in the 1960s. Students’ awareness of the unfair treatment in the justice system could help history not repeat itself.
The true stories of banned books inspire us. In the nonfiction graphic novel Maus, a survival story of the author’s Jewish parents during the 1930s is described. As stated in The New York Times, the novel has been taken out of schools for concerns about inappropriate language and nudity. The nudity is that of a mouse, not an actual person. This story is quite educational and can give students a new perspective of how the parents survived a horrific time.
There is more to a book than the bad language in it. Parents have gotten a multitude of books banned from school’s curriculum for the profanity in the books. A few of these include The Catcher in the Rye, and Slaughterhouse-Five. The language used in a book can make it feel more relatable and realistic to the reader. Parents also need to realize that they can’t shelter their kids from the language they will hear in their day-to-day life. In all the books I’ve read in school, I have never seen any language that I hadn’t already heard in the halls.”
Of Mice and Men was challenged because of the term ‘Japs. Yes, this term is not acceptable today, but it’s important to note that John Steinbeck is one of the most taught writers in schools. The slurs, sexism, and profanity of the book fit the time. While it may not be pretty, that was life then and you can’t go back and change history to fit your needs.
“Banned books have realistic and truthful stories. One of the best examples of this is The Grapes of Wrath. The novel tells the story of a family’s life that was ruined by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Students can gain compassion for the people who lost everything during that time. The lack of a happy ending also makes it so much more realistic and educational for the reader.”
The freedom to read is essential to our democracy and reading is among our greatest freedoms and protected by our Constitution. Intellectual freedom and the freedom to read what we want are essential to creativity and a free society. Words have power and access to diverse ideas gives us all the power to fight ignorance and strengthen understanding. Celebrate the freedom to read by reading your favorite banned book. Fight censorship and exercise your freedom to seek and express ideas, during this year’s Banned Books Week.
Wedsworth Library does not promote or permit censorship. “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” —Article 3, Library Bill of Rights. Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.
Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that while not every book or movie is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to, or view. Banned Books Week has looked to help people recognize and navigate censorship. Others should not have the ability or authority to tell you what you can read or not read.
“We should not ban book regardless of being critical or controversial,” said Anthony Luevano, “Knowledge is knowledge, and it should not be restricted by someone’s ideas or standards.”
“Censoring a student’s reading isn’t protecting them, it is just a way to avoid teaching them important lessons. You may be able to censor their reading, but you’ll never be able to censor the reality they’ll face.”
American libraries are the cornerstones of our democracy. Libraries are for everyone, everywhere. Because libraries provide free access to a world of information, they bring opportunity to all people. Now, more than ever, celebrate the freedom to read @ your library! Read an old favorite or a new banned book this week.