Banned Books Week is here and there are many ways to celebrate —at home and within the community.
Throughout the week of Sept. 18-24, librarians, booksellers, educators, publishers, writers and readers are celebrating through sponsored events across the country in an effort to call out the issue of censorship.
Heeding the call here in Bucks County, independent bookshops owners, local librarians and community activists are spreading awareness through promotional displays, social media campaigns and local events.
The Bucks County Free Library, with its seven branches throughout the county, is bringing attention to the movement through several efforts, like sharing staff-selected banned books through their website and social media.
Banned book displays have also been set up at many of the branches and “I read banned books” shirts are for sale on library’s website. In addition, library patrons can access banned books digitally, as e-books or audiobooks, through Hoopla and cloudLibrary, where they’ve set up a banned books shelf with more than 100 banned and challenged titles that can be downloaded to any mobile device.
“Historically, books that have been banned are often windows into authentic perspectives, or mirrors that let us see ourselves in the story and feel a sense of belonging. They give us a way to examine challenging topics, ourselves, and our world,” said Martina Kominiarek, CEO of Bucks County Free Library.
“Bucks County Free Library wants to celebrate freedom of expression and bring awareness to what might be lost to censorship. Democracy is about having the freedom to choose what you read, view, listen to or access.”
Banned Books Week — now in its 40th year since launching in 1982 — brings together the book community to celebrate the freedom to read while spotlighting historical and current attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
It comes during a sharp increase in book bans in 2022, a year which, according to a preliminary report by the American Library Association, is already on track to set the record in the highest number of attempted book bans.
In the first eight months of 2022, ALA documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, targeting 1,651 unique titles. Since the ALA began compiling its list of book bans 20 years ago, the highest number was recorded last year with 729 attempts against 1,597 books. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe was noted as the most challenged book in 2021.
“The unprecedented number of challenges we’re seeing already this year reflects coordinated, national efforts to silence marginalized or historically underrepresented voices and deprive all of us — young people, in particular — of the chance to explore a world beyond the confines of personal experience,” said ALA President Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada.
“Librarians develop collections and resources that make knowledge and ideas widely available, so people and families are free to choose what to read. Though it’s natural that we want to protect young people from some of life’s more difficult realities, the truth is that banning books does nothing to protect them from dealing with tough issues. Instead, it denies young people resources that can help them deal with the challenges that confront them.”
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In Doylestown, events have been set up by community organizers who felt compelled to get involved after the Central Bucks school board enacted a controversial library policy in July giving residents the ability to challenge books available in schools.
One such event is being hosted on Wednesday by The Rainbow Room, an LGBTQ+ and allies youth center in Doylestown. At the event, called fREADom to Read, guest speaker, Lily Freeman, will share her experience as a local transgender high school student advocating against book banning. The program will also feature a story time and discussion focused specifically on LGBTQ+ themed children’s picture books, said its founder, Marlene Pray.
“Recognizing Banned Books Week is important at The Rainbow Room because of the recent rise of efforts to censor and restrict access to diverse books in our local schools and because LGBTQ+ content is disproportionately targeted for censorship alongside works dealing with racism and racial identity,” Pray said.
“Reading these books together is fun and also healing, as most of the teens did not have access to these books as young children,” she added.
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A Banned Book Parade is also scheduled to take place along the sidewalks in Doylestown’s downtown business district on Saturday.
The parade features eight of 2021’s most challenged books brought to life, along with music, a read-aloud and information on how censorship is affecting local schools.
“Our community is facing unprecedented, nationally coordinated efforts to censor books in libraries and schools. Our goal is to inform and empower our community to work together in the fight against censorship,” said Kate Nuzemi, co-founder of Advocates for Inclusive Education, a local group organizing the parade.
At The Doylestown Bookshop and The Lahaska Bookshop, in-store displays feature adult and children’s books that have been banned or challenged. Glenda Childs, owner of the two independent bookstores, said they have celebrated Banned Books Week since the early 1980s in hopes of drawing attention to the harms of censorship.
“At that time, as we are also seeing now, there were challenges to some books being read in schools and libraries,” Childs said.
She pointed to passage from a 2020 article in The Harvard Business Review, titled The Case for Reading Fiction, which said “. . . reading literary fiction helps people develop empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking.”
“I believe books that challenge our point of view especially help teach these important skills,” added Childs.
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The event, hosted by grassroots advocacy group Red Wine and Blue, will feature speakers and a book swap. Thanks to donations from the community, banned books will be available to take home and read or distribute to a local Little Free Library. Additional book donations are being accepted, so participants are encouraged to contribute a new or used banned book to share. The event is free to attend, and a cash bar and snacks will be provided.
Go: The celebration takes place Thursday, Sept. 22 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at The Garden Bar at Puck, 1 Printers Alley in Doylestown. More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.
Check out a blog posted by the Bucks County Free Library sharing some of the staff’s favorite books that have been targeted for removal or restriction at libraries across the country. Their recommendations come with personal reflections on why they connected with the particular book.
Read: buckslib.org/banned-books-library-staff-love
The Rainbow Room, a local LGBTQ+ youth center, is hosting a story time and book discussion event for LGBTQ+ youth and allies 14-21 years old. Wear your favorite pajamas and read some banned LGBTQ+ children’s books with friends, while enjoying hot cocoa, cookies and door prizes. The event features special guest, Lily Freeman, of Project Uncensored.
Go: fREADom to Read takes place Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Rainbow Room inside Salem United Church of Christ at 186 E. Court St. in Doylestown. More information is available on the the event’sFacebook page.
Hosted by Advocates for Inclusive Education, the first annual Banned Books Parade will wind its way along the sidewalks of Doylestown’s downtown business district on Saturday. The parade features eight of 2021’s most challenged books brought to life, along with music, a read-aloud, guest speakers and information on how censorship is affecting local schools.
Go: The parade takes place Saturday, Sept. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m in Doylestown. More information is available at advocatesforinclusiveeducation.org/news.
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The ALA is hosting a series of free online events throughout Banned Books Week featuring authors, librarians, and activists working to fight censorship. More information, including how to register for each event, can be found at: ala.org/advocacy/advocacy/bbooks/events
PEN America hosts a series of virtual conversations around the topic of censorship and book banning. A list of events can be found at: pen.org/campaign/banned-books-week-2022
The Banned Books Week Coalition is hosting a lineup of free Facebook Live events throughout the week. Find the schedule of events here: bannedbooksweek.org/dont-miss-these-banned-books-week-coalition-facebook-live-events
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