geoff: Battles have a rafted at
schools, school boards, and
library meetings across the
country as parents, lawmakers
and advocacy groups are debating
the value and merit of many
books new and old.
This is national library week
and a report out today catalogs
the surge of challenges to
what's on the shelves in
America's libraries.
Jeffrey brown has more for our
arts and culture series canvas.
Jeffrey: In its report, the
American library association
documented more than 1200
demands to censor library books
and resources last year.
That's nearly twice as many as
2021, and about three times the
pre-pandemic average and the
highest since the ala started
collecting data 20 years ago.
It also lists the 13 books that
have been most challenged this
past year,
including the top three, "Gender
queer," a memoir by Maia kobabe.
"All boys aren't blue" by George
Johnson.
Antoni Morrison's "The bluest
eye."
Deborah caldwell-stone, is the
director of the American library
association's office for
intellectual freedom.
And she joins me now to discuss
all of this.
Does a challenge mean versus an
outright ban?
>> A challenge is a demand to
remove a book from a library
shelf that a school or public
library.
A ban is when the school board
takes action to remove the book
and prevent the intended reader
from reading it.
Jeffrey: Do we know how much
this has led to out banning, or
is it a question you have used
the word soft censorship?
Deborah: We are seeing half of
these challenges result in
outright bands or restrictions
that prevent the reader from
reading it.
That could mean moving a book in
the children's section or young
adult section to the adult
section.
Placing restrictions like
parental consent rules on the
book, and worst of all, taking
the book out of the library
altogether.
We don't know the outcome of
every reported challenge to the
office, because we do rely on
media reports and other sources
that don't often follow-up.
I am large, we are seeing an
increase in the removal of books
rather than simply evaluating
the book and placing it back on
the shelf.
Jeffrey: What do you see
happening in terms of what is
leading to this big jump in
challenges?
One thing you pointed to is in
the past, it would usually be
one parent per challenge in one
book -- one parent challenging
one book.
.
Now many talks are challenged at
a time.
Deborah: I think what the
numbers are showing is the
unprecedented jump in the number
of challenges, and the jump in
the number of books being
challenged.
It is like organized political
activity by a number of activist
groups, to go to board meetings
and demand the removal of as
many as 100 books at a time.
It has resulted in the real
depopulation of many library
shelves, particularly in some
states like Florida and Texas,
where we are getting reports of
school boards removing hundreds
of books at one time.
Either to respond to a demand to
censor books, or a response to
state legislation.
Jeffrey: I mentioned three of
the books, three of the 13.
The themes that have been much
discussed, and you discuss it in
your report now, around gender,
sexuality, race, and racial
history.
Tell us what you are seeing in
the books that are being
challenged?
Deborah: We are seeing
challenges primarily to books
that elevate the voices of those
who have been traditionally
marginalized in society.
Particularly books about gay,
queer, transgender persons, or
persons of color.
Black persons.
Really a real effort to censor
any narrative that challenges
the status quo.
That elevates the voices of
alternative groups, that reflect
the experiences and lives of
persons of color or lgbtq
persons.
We are seeing legislation
targeting this.
.
The don't say gay bill in
Florida, which has recently been
expanded in such a way that no
one between k-8 may hear about
the fact that some people are
homosexuals.
Or legislation that banned
actual books.
Jeffrey: If individuals or
groups do feel that some books
go too far in terms of their
graphic language or
descriptions, some see them as
pornography, does the ala have
guidelines?
What is the process that you
would like to see happen?
Deborah: We do have
recommendations for policies for
collection development and
reconsideration.
But it is our position that the
decision about what young but --
what young kids can access
is in the hands of a parent.
We can't know what a parents of
are.
We recommend it is the parents
they get involved with guiding
their child's reading.
.
Libraries are always anxious to
help a parent find books that
match the family's values and
needs.
But we do say no one parent
should dictate a decision for
other families, for other
students, other parents.
In the library should be there
as a community resource to meet
everybody's information needs,
no matter what they believe or
value.
There are many books dealing
with sex education sexuality,
gender, that are important for
the readers they are intended
for.
Many of the books we are hearing
complained about are falsely
portrayed as being in the hands
of young children, when they are
intended for older adolescents
or are in high school libraries
in intended for that age group.
We would recommend that anyone
concerned about censorship,
about preserving their own
family's individual choice in
reading, their own choice, that
they get involved at the local
level with initiatives like,
unite against book bans, which
is really a toolkit for
individuals who want to preserve
the freedom to read in their
community, and preserve their
own ability to choose the books
they want to read and choose the
books they want their own child
to read.
Jeffrey: Deborah caldwell-stone
of the American library
association, thank you very
much.
Deborah: Thank you very much.
Geoff: One writer whose work has
long been the subject of
censorship, right up until
today, is Judy blume, the author
of "Are you there, god? It's me,
Margaret."
And numerous other books for
young readers.
Jeffrey brown will have an
interview with the legendary
author later this week.
♪♪