Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week will begin September 18. Let’s give our communities a chance to raise their voices.  
 
The Penguin Random House publishing company has some Banned Books Week kits to share while supplies last, and downloadable resources.
 

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HOW TO TALK ABOUT BOOK BANS

• READING is a foundational skill, critical to future learning, and to exercising our democratic freedoms.
• WE CAN TRUST individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.
• PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT to guide their children’s reading and education, but parents should not be making decisions for other parents’ children. A small group of parents should not dictate what books other people’s children are allowed to read.
• BOOKS ARE TOOLS for understanding complex issues. Limiting young people’s access to books does not protect them from life’s complex and challenging issues.
• YOUNG PEOPLE deserve to see themselves reflected in a library’s books.
• REMOVING AND BANNING BOOKS from public libraries is a slippery slope to government censorship and the erosion of our country’s commitment to freedom of expression.
• PLEASE REJECT any efforts to ban books and allow individuals and parents to make the decision about what they can read and believe.
• VISIT UniteAgainstBookBans.org to learn more and to join our efforts.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How do I handle difficult conversations with individuals seeking to ban books, especially parents concerned about what their kids are reading?
A: We must trust individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We also believe that parents have the right to guide their children’s reading and education. At the same time, individuals should not be making decisions for other readers or for other parents’ children. Specifically, a small group of parents should not dictate what books other people’s children are allowed to read.
 
Q: What if someone says that children are too young to begin reading a book that addresses sexually explicit topics?
A: We recognize that there will be disagreements over certain content. However, individuals should not be making decisions for other readers or for other parents about what is appropriate. Services, materials, and facilities that fulfill the needs and interests of library users at different stages in their personal development are a necessary part of providing library services and should be determined on an individual basis. Reading materials available in the library are available to students for personal selection; they are not required books. Banning these materials will remove access for all members of the community.

Q: What if someone argues that they don’t want their children being taught political views that they find objectionable, such as critical race theory?
A: School educators and librarians are professionals who are trained to not impose their own thoughts and opinions on which ideas are right, but to make knowledge and ideas available so that people have the freedom to choose what to read. Further, librarians and educators respect the rights of parents to decide which books their children are exposed to. They work closely with parents to help them decide the best books for their children. Libraries provide access to books that offer teachable moments for readers of all ages and expand our understanding of people with different backgrounds, ideas, and beliefs.
SOURCE:  UABB Toolkit PDF
 
For more resources, visit Unite Against Book Bans.

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Author

Perry Stokes
Co-Chair, OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee
ifc.chair@olaweb.org