Books are being banned in many schools and public libraries across the country. As more books are being banned around the country, the damage gets worse.
Banned books are books that have been challenged or removed from libraries, schools, and bookstores due to concerns of their content. Commonly, books are banned because they contain content that is political, “sexually explicit”, violent, or because they highlight the struggles of minority groups. Organizations monitoring banned books are the American Library Associate (ALA) and PEN America (poets, essayists, and novelists of America). Through its Office for Intellectual Freedom, the ALA tracks and reports on book challenges and bans in the United States. PEN is an organization focused on protecting free expression, including fighting against book censorship in schools.
According to the American Library Association, a few challenged books are Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. A common theme amongst these books is that they are realistic stories; the fictional events that take place in these stories are real situations that can and do happen to real people.
It is an ever-growing issue that books are being challenged. Resources for education should never be withheld from growing minds. When asked about her feelings on the issue, school librarian Ms. Stefanie Halliday says, “When we ban or challenge books, we are all the worse for it. If you look at these statistics from groups like PEN America, you’ll see that many of the books challenged are by authors of color and LGBTQ+ authors. Those who want books removed from schools and libraries do not want these stories to be told. A former college professor, Rudine Sims Bishop talks about books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. When we limit access to books, we are preventing students from seeing themselves in stories (mirrors), from seeing others’ points of view (windows), and from stepping into others’ worlds (sliding glass doors). We all lose when our access to many points of view is limited.”
Along with books being windows and sliding glass doors, books are mirrors. It is very important for people to see themselves represented in the media. It is commonplace for books to be a source of comfort and a coping mechanism. Seeing yourself represented in stories is seeing that you are never alone, there is always someone going through similar things that you are and reading their stories helps people see that they can overcome their challenges and move forward. Books open possibilities for greater self-understanding and supports young people still discovering themselves and figuring out their identities.
Banning books silences valuable voices and reduces awareness and open-mindedness. It shelters people from valuable learning opportunities and understanding diverse perspectives. It prevents society from completely grasping complex issues. Allowing access to a variety of books encourages people to learn, think freely, and completely engage in the human experience.
