Banned Books

Ellen Hopkins is a powerhouse author in the realm of censorship. She is known to keep a collection of letters sent to her from readers, explaining why her books were so important and valuable to them. She then sends these letters to groups that would like to ban or censor her to show why her work has value. In my opinion, this is an excellent counter argument to a challenge as well as an excellent example of Ranganathan’s third law of library science: Every book its reader. 

Ellen Hopkins’ books challenge what is considered normal for the average American teenager. They break down the doors of stigma that often create unhealthy barriers in the picture-perfect, suburban households she often writes about. The Crank series was also her actual everyday normal for a while as the mother of a teenage girl with substance abuse disorder. Since some of her work is semi-autobiographical, this has to make the repeated attempts at censorship sting just a little bit more. We need her books though. 200 Americans die per day of preventable, accidental drug overdoses. This number has been steadily increasing alongside the national opioid epidemic.

Calls to action in support of libraries

Changes in national policies impact libraries and library users. Calls to action in support of libraries—including privacy, copyright, access to government information, and network neutrality—are described below.

Privacy and surveillance. Restore the constitutional privacy rights of library users and all Americans lost to overbroad, invasive, and insufficiently “checked and balanced” provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act amendments, and Electronic Communications Privacy Act. For decades, librarians have defended the public’s Fourth Amendment privacy rights against government attempts to obtain patrons’ borrowing (and later internet access) records without a warrant and fought for the principle that freedom to read must not be sacrificed to security.

Copyright. Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty for the print disabled and reject unneeded changes to copyright law in any associated “implementing” legislation. The treaty will afford 4 million print-disabled Americans critical new access to copyrighted material worldwide vital to their education, work, and quality of life. US negotiators have assured that the final text is fully consistent with our law. The treaty thus can and should be ratified promptly, unencumbered by legislation to substantively amend US copyright law that will delay or derail its ratification.

Government information. Pass the bipartisan FOIA Improvement Act of 2015, S. 337, and statutorily ensure public access to unique collections held by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). It is imperative that a single repository for the unique scientific and technical collections now held by the NTIS be funded so that this information can continue to be preserved and made available to the public.

Telecommunications. Support network neutrality. Preserving an open internet is essential to freedom of speech, educational achievement, and our nation’s economic growth. Internet service providers should not be information gatekeepers.

Source:  http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2016/national-issues-and-trends

Top 10 Challenged Books of 2019

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 377 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2019. Of the 566 books that were targeted, here are the most challenged, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books:

1. George by Alex Gino
   Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
2. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
   Reasons: challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased
3. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
   Reasons: Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning
4. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
   Reasons: Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate” 
5. Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
   Reasons: Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint
6. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
   Reasons: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged”
7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones”
8. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
   Reasons: Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals”
9. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
   Reasons: Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals
10. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson illustrated by Henry Cole
    Reason: Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content

Literature helps us navigate the world by shining a light on challenging and uncomfortable topics. Censorship leaves us in the dark. Of the 483 books that were challenged or banned in 2018, these are the Top 11 Most Challenged. The annual list is compiled by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.