fREADom

This week (Sept 30-Oct 6) is national "Banned Books Week." Sounds a bit silly? Or maybe a bit rebellious? And the Lord above knows we don't wanna be no Jonahs! But what is the motive behind Banned Books Week? Is it really all that silly? Or all that rebellious? 

According to the American Library Association (ALA) they "receive reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. We (ALA) compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools. The ALA condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information." If books are censored based on opinions of "left" or "right" thinking--supporting censorship is a danger for both the "left" and the "right." And if you think books like Fifty Shades of Grey are the only kinds of books being "challenged"--you are terribly mistaken! On the list of "challenged" books are what most of us know as classics like Slaughter-House Five by Vonnegut, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, and many more! 

This past summer the Library of Congress put together a phenomenal exhibit entitled "The Books That Shaped America." For banned books week they highlighted the specific titles of "The Books That Shaped America" that have been challenged. And quite honestly a lot of these books are some of my favorites--including Harry Potter! In fact, back home I have a best friend named Polly. She is in her late eighties now and was a librarian for a public elementary school for many years. She told me that when Where the Wild Things Are first came out she had to fight so hard to keep it on their shelf!  When she told me that I COULD NOT BELIEVE HER--Where the Wild Things Are? Really?!? I love Where the Wild Things Are! I sleep with a picture of Max above my bed! And according to the Library of Congress' exhibit Where the Wild Things Are is one of the books that helped shape America! It's because of the ALA and people like Polly, that Crowell Library can have three copies of Where the Wild Things Are sitting on our shelves. It's because we refuse to censor the "left" that the "right" is safe from being censored. And it's through events like "Banned Books Week" that we can raise awareness of the need to protect and celebrate the freedom to read!