Freed Between the Lines! (Banned Books Week, Sept 22nd - Sept 28th)

Hi my fellow bookworms,

This month marks the annual Banned Books Week, beginning on Sunday, September 22, 2024 through Saturday, September 28, 2024. The theme this year, as stated by the American Library Association ("ALA"), is Freed Between the Lines. What a great way to promote the freedom to read!

A few statistics, from the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom ("OIF") to breakdown this past year's challenges on banned books (and it has been a year!):

• Challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023, compared to 2022

• This past year had the highest level of challenges ever recorded by the ALA

(c) ALA, 2024

• OIF documented 4,240 unique book titles for censorship
  
  
• There were 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023
• Groups and individuals demanding the censorship of multiple titles, often dozens to hundreds at a time, started this uptick in challenged materials

• Public libraries were targeted more, in addition to school libraries, in 2023 than previous years

• Titles tagged for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% in 2023, accounting for approximately 46% of all book challenges in 2023

• 76% of items challenged were books and graphic novels, 5% displays, 4% access (bomb threats, library closures), 4% hate crimes (vandalism, theft of materials representing marginalized groups), 3% programs, 2% films, and 6% other

• School libraries saw an 11% increase in challenged materials, compared to 2022

• In total, 54% of censorship attacks attack public libraries, 30% attack school libraries, 5% schools, and 2% higher education/other

• 47% of the censorship attempts targeted LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals

• The highest groups initiating censorship attempts have been patrons, or those who visit the library, with 28% of censorship attempts, followed by 24% parents, and 21% pressure groups

• Attempts to censor more than 100 titles were recorded in the following 17 U.S. states:
• Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin

(c) ALA, 2024

How does ALA compile its data? Through book challenge reports filed by library professionals throughout the United States, in addition to news stories. This doesn't cover all the data required for a full picture, though, as some reports never make it to ALA, so the above is

just a snapshot of the censorship that occurred over the previous year. 

So, what is a challenge? ALA states that 

"A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict access to materials or services based upon the objections of a person or group. A challenge to a title may result in access to it being retained, restricted, or withdrawn entirely" (n.d.). 

Previous book challenges have resulted in a book intended for a younger audience being removed from that section and placed in an older section of the library, requiring a parent's permission, being given a rating warning, or even requiring an older age to check the book out. These challenges are an attempt to remove materials from the public view, removing the public's ability to access them, their views, their ideas, their voices. (I'm imagining Ariel and Ursula as I write this.)

A formal challenge to a book means the start of a long process in which everyone involved with the library becomes involved, typically with the policy of the library and the library board who ultimately decides if the book meets the library's mission and criteria set in it's policy. ALA also states that

"A book is banned when it is entirely removed from a collection in response to a formal or informal challenge. Any reduction in access to library materials based on an individual or group's believe that they are harmful or offensive is an act of censorship" (n.d.). 

Here are the Top Ten Books that were challenged in 2023, along with their reasons why (You may see some repeat offenders from 2022):

(c) ALA, 2024

How can you help? 

• Check out the website Unite Against Book Bans, they have lots of ways to participate against censorship, as well as free tools to help you succeed in doing so.
• VOTE! This is an election year, we must make sure our votes count, so no more challenges or censorship continues - let's bring the above statistics back down!
• Read challenged books. Understand why they were challenged. Make your own decisions. Check out book resumes hosted on Unite Against Book Bans, if you do not have time to read all of them at the moment. 
• Attend your local library board and school board meetings. Make YOUR voice heard!
• Visit your library! If you don't have a library card yet, get one - they're free! You can check so many more things out than just books, including music, audiobooks, movies, and sometimes, even technology (e.g., sewing machines or VHS to DVD converters)!
  
• Create your own Little Free Library and offer challenged books for those in your community to read.
• Read the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Blog to stay up-to-date on all things banned books related.
• Alert ALA of any book ban attempts in your community through the OIF office.
• Sign on the Freedom to Read Statement, and state your support in the belief of the freedom to read!

I support everyone's right to read. Until next time, I hope you "Freed Between the Lines!" 

Happy reading (banned books)! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

ALA. (n.d.). Book ban data. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data

United Against Book Bans. (n.d.). Get involved. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/get-involved/ 

Dog Days of Summer (Road Trip Wishlist)

Hello fellow readers out there! What have YOU been reading this summer? Let me know with the #currentlyreadingblog to have your book featured on my blog widget!

I have been reading books that have been popular with YA, including The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken in anticipation for the movie that came out earlier this month. I have been wanting to read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - the movie was beautiful! I am #108 on the waiting list, down from around 250 earlier this summer. The bookstores have been popular with it, yet I have not seen it in stock at one of my favorite haunts!

Since it is the end of summer, I figured I would give you guys a taste of a road trip without being on one. Here is a list of bookstores and libraries around the world that I would LOVE to visit, in no particular order:

Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building (c) Library of Congress, www.loc.gov

• Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
• A national monument that was established in 1800, when President John Adams signed a bill allowing for a library of books "for the use of Congress," the Library of Congress is a massive library that had to be replaced over the years due to fire and war. President Thomas Jefferson's offered his personal library (6,487 books!), which Congress purchased in 1815 to replace the previous collection. You can view President Jefferson's original library today, as it is on display as an exhibition. The Library is also home to the U.S. Copyright Office, an office that administers a national copyright system, the National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which offers the circulation of braille and audiobooks nationwide, and the Law Library of Congress, an international legal collection of law books. (www.loc.gov). If you are unable to visit the Library in person, I definitely recommend taking a tour online!

President John Adams' Stone Library (c) National Park Foundation, www.nationalparks.org

• The Stone Library at Adams National Historic Park, in Quincy, Massachusetts
• You can find this mini library in the middle of Adams National Historic Park! Built in 1870, the library was built to be fireproof, which is why it is also called The Stone Library. Approximately 10% of the volumes have originally belonged to the President, but the rest are a range of educational subjects you would find in libraries today. (www.nps.gov) If you cannot make it to this library location, the National Park Foundation offers an online tour of the property. 
 




Livraria Lello, (c) Ivo Rainha, Livraria Lello (https://www.livrarialello.pt)

• Livraria Lello Bookstore, Porto, Portugal
• Part of the intellectual upper-class of the society, brothers Jose and Antonio Lello opened the book establishment in 1881. It was later inaugurated as a bookstore in 1906, after the reconstruction by engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves. This bookstore is one of the oldest in the world, and features a mix of neo-gothic, art nouveau, and art deco design. From the outside, it looks like a medieval castle that was squashed into the business area! (www.livrarialello.pt) Fun fact: It believed by some to be an inspiration for J.K. Rowling to write Harry Potter (!). 

Rovaniemi City Library, (c) Alvar Aalto, Rovaniemi City Library (www.libraries.fi)

• Rovaniemi City Library, Rovaniemi, Finland
• Recommended by my architecture-genius friend (the same one who visited Seattle in a previous blog post), this library was constructed in 1965 by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. A pioneer of modern architecture and design, Alvar treated each building he worked on as a work of art. (www.alvaraalto.fi) The design is similar to an open book and showcases the books beautifully. (www.libraries.fi) If you are interested in Alvar Aalto's work, please visit the Alvar Aalto Foundation website.

• Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington
• I really want to see this library, after all, one of my closest friends has and shared with me the beautiful and crazy architecture both on the outside and inside. Please read my previous blog post for more information. 
 


• New York Public Library, New York, New York
• I love this library! Located on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, the main branch of the New York Public Library houses the famous Rose Main Reading Room, the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal set, and thousands of items to read, watch, or listen to, including research collections. Please read my previous blog post on it for more information. 

I have a few more bookstores and libraries that I want to visit and will share with you in the future! Do you have a bookstore or library that you want to visit that is not featured? If so, please share in the comments below!