Free People Read Freely

My bet is you have but may not have realized it. Have you read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain? How about "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou? "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck? Or "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee? And let’s not forget to mention the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. If you have read any of these titles, you have read a challenged or banned book. If you haven’t, now is the perfect time as we have our annual Banned Books Week celebration this week.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), "more than a book a day faces removal from free and open public access in U.S. schools and libraries." This is why I find it so important to celebrate and promote Banned Books Week every year.

Not only does Banned Books Week celebrate our freedom to read, it also "celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met." And intellectual freedom is one of the basic principles of libraries.

One of my favorite pins I picked up at a library conference states "There’s something in my library to offend everyone." I have found this to be true time and time again. Here in our community we have a wide range of beliefs and world views and we strive to have materials for all. "Not every book is right for every reader," said ALA President Loriene Roy. "Libraries serve users from a variety of backgrounds - that's why libraries need - and have - such a wide range of materials. Individuals must have the right to choose what materials are suitable for themselves and their families."

Here in our library we have displays in the library with a range of books that have been banned or frequently challenged in their lifetimes. We also have lists showing the top challenged books of 2006 and the most challenged books of the 21st century (so far) as well as the most challenged books of the 1990s. I’ll tell you right now Harry Potter was not the most challenged book for 2006. It is a children’s picture book titled "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson. Be sure to place your hold on this book to see.

We also have a basket of our favorite "I read banned books" pin at our check out desk. Stop in the library to get your pin and wear it proudly all week and all year. Then be sure to check out your banned book.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress Center for the Book. For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom's Banned Books Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." — Beatrice Hall, The Friends of Voltaire, 1906.

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Free People Read Freely