Banning Books : The Wrong Side of Truth
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Have you ever gone to the library to check out a book only to find that it isn’t there? Not because it was checked out by someone else, but because a limited number of people didn’t want you to read it–didn’t want anyone to read it–because they did not agree with its content. Chances are this has never happened to any of our Padres, at least if they were checking out a book locally. But for those living in Texas and a number of other states this might happen a lot. So what’s up with that? Censorship. That’s what’s up with that.
It is a tale as old as time. Books–and before their development, other forms of written text–have been outlawed, or even burned, to prevent others from reading and being influenced by them. As early as 213 B.C. texts were being burned in Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s China. Lorraine Boissoneault writes in her article for Smithsonian, “Qin was only one in a long line of ancient rulers who felt threatened enough by the ideas expressed in written form to advocate arson. In Livy’s History of Rome, finished in the 1st century A.D., he describes past rulers who ordered books containing the predictions of oracles and details about celebrations like the Bacchanalia be outlawed and burned to prevent disorder and the spread of foreign customs…Qin and religious leaders like him are only a small part of the early book-burning equation.”
The further we go back in time, the fewer the number of books there were to be burned. “Books” in ancient times were manuscripts, handmade, handwritten (or carved) and singular. In the Middle Ages, printers in China and Korea were developing wood block printing presses–still a long and laborious process that was nothing close to mass production. But once Gutenberg brought the printing press to Europe in 1440 there were a lot of books to round up and bigger bonfires to build. If you were inclined to see the proliferation of books and diversity of thought as a negative, you might say that the proverbial Pandora’s box had been opened. In 2021 approximately 1.7 million new books were published. The number of copies printed for each of these titles? There is probably a stat for that someplace, but let’s just say…a LOT more than Qin Shi Huang had to deal with in 213 B.C. Today, censoring what people read and banning books from public libraries and schools is far more common than the old fashioned bonfires of the past. Using political power to control the information and stories we are “allowed” to read is not new, but in a true democracy we should have the freedom to read what we wish to read without judgment or, especially, fear of punishment.
In recent years censorship has seen a resurgence throughout the United States. The numbers are staggering. PEN America has recently identified 1,648 challenged or banned books in 2,532 cases in U.S. school districts from July 2021 through June 2022. (Their detailed, impressive Index of School Book Bans containing the hard data documenting each case is worth viewing.) Christian Thorsberg, writes for The Grid, “These numbers are at a historic high, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, who has tracked and analyzed book bans across the country during her more than two decades with the American Library Association (ALA). Caldwell-Stone, currently the director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the ALA, said in the past, the norm was for one or two titles to be challenged per year in schools. Today, it’s common for four to six unique books to be challenged each day, she said.”
So why are so many books being challenged right now? As politics divide our country nearly down the middle, young people’s freedom to read what they want and their right to do so has come under attack. Thorsberg continues, “The uptick is part of a culture war taking center stage in political races, on social media and at school board meetings — between those who believe that parents should have a greater say in school curricula; those who think that certain histories and narratives should not be taught in classrooms; and others who resist censorship of any form, encouraging all titles onto shelves. Caught in the middle of the debate are questions along legal, geographic and economic lines — mainly, how book bans really relate to the First Amendment, their impact in the internet age (more significant than you would guess) and consequences of bans — both intended and unintended.”
Educators and librarians in Texas are having a particularly hard time in the wake of the Texas State legislature’s passage of the Critical Race Race Theory law. “Books currently being targeted are those written by and about traditionally marginalized people and experiences. We fear this is just the beginning and if not stopped will have long-term ramifications on society.” according to the TexansForTheRighttoRead.com website. These teachers and librarians are standing up and digging in to educate their fellow citizens about the dangers of banning books! By using the hashtag #FReadom, they are posting their love of banned books and in particular the banned books that have been important to their lives.
What types of books are being targeted and why? Ten years ago, in 2012, the book at the top of the banned books list, according to the American Library Association, was the Captain Underpants series. A popular series for kids (and possibly some Padres when they were young), the book series was challenged for “offensive language, unsuited for age group”. The second most challenged book of 2012 was Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, currently on the Padre summer reading list for sophomores. By 2015 even The Bible made it onto the list, clocking in at number six. By 2021, Alexie’s book was still on the list (dropping down to number six) with Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison taking spots one and two. Seven titles on the 2021 ten most challenged list were there for what is “considered to be sexually-explicit” content, according to the challengers. Five were challenged for LGBTQIA+ content. Three of the top ten were challenged because of profanity, among other reasons given. To a slightly lesser extent than these with sexuality- and gender identity-related themes, several books with Indigenous-centered and Black-centered content from authors such as Sherman Alexie, Ibram X. Kendi, George M. Johnson, Jason Reynolds, Toni Morrison and Angie Thomas have also made the most challenged lists for 2020 and 2021. For a list of the most challenged books by year going back to 2001, have a look at the ALA’s Banned and Challenged Books page.
So if many of these books are online in digital form, does it really matter that many schools and public libraries are being forced to remove the printed versions from their collections? Yes, it does. For those who cannot afford to buy their own copy, in digital or print form, they may not have the means to access the library’s digital copies. That’s an inequitable penalty. Caldwell-Stone underscores this point in her interview with Thorsberg, “‘It’s easy to argue that no book has really been banned, because of online book selling and ebooks. But that requires regular and uninterrupted access to the internet, which costs money, and you need a credit card to purchase or rent the books.’
“[She] recalled previously working in Jonesboro, Arkansas, which at the time, like hundreds of communities around the country today, she said, had no public transportation system, no public library and unreliable internet access. ‘Removing a book from the consolidated high school library meant it was actually gone from every student’s hands,’ she said.”
So what can we do about this, if anything? As individuals who wish to help protect intellectual freedoms, we can take a look at the ALA’s Intellectual Freedoms page through which we can educate ourselves further and get the latest updates. We can also support the Banned Books Week coalition! As the ALA puts it, “For 40 years, the annual event has brought 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. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.” Peruse the list of banned books and then read one. Judge its merits and deficiencies for yourself. Don’t let others select your reading material for you (uness it’s required for class!) Pick up a copy of Captain Underpants (for sentimental reasons) and The Hate U Give or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or another amazing book that everyone should have the opportunity to read.
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A current, related article: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-book-bans-are-doing-to-school-library-purchases/2023/01