Building Resilient Libraries: Protecting Against Book Bans
As attempts to ban books and other materials proliferate across the country, library systems and governmental jurisdictions are fighting back. There are many ways to safeguard intellectual freedom and to protect the rights of customers and communities to choose what they want to read. Library staff and boards cannot passively stand by as collections are decimated to suit a particular perspective.
Many of the items that have been targeted for banning are books by and about LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC people, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. Extremist activists have been working to impart their religious and societal views on everyone, arguing that their perspective must be everyone’s perspective, or that the items in the collection are offensive to them so they must be removed for everyone, or moved to a different section of the library which could mean, for instance, that a teen who could benefit from or enjoy a book might not see it.
While customers have every right to complain about or challenge a book, some are taking it out on staff or attempting to block other people’s access to books. In the last five years, at a national level, there has been a 600% increase in threats to staff and 11 incidents of bomb threats.
In a perfect world, government funders and elected officials would also stand up for intellectual freedom. If that is not the case, library leaders need to act on their own. There are tools that are needed to effectively mount a defense and stand up for the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which was originally adopted in 1939 and outlines the policies that should be followed to protect intellectual freedom and a collection that serves the varied interests and perspectives of a diverse population.
Strong Internal Collection Policies and Procedures
All libraries must be clear about how they select their materials and have a process for reconsideration that includes a question about having read the book. Customers should be directed to talk to front line staff about their concerns before filing a request for reconsideration or submitting a complaint. When a collection development policy includes the “what, why, and how” of book selection, customers can follow the procedures that are reflected in the decision-making. A strong and defendable policy will reference the American Library Association’s principles articulated in the Library Bill of Rights,” the “Freedom to Read Statement,” and the “Freedom to View Statement,” all of which can be found on the ALA website at www.ala.org/advocacy.
The policy should be posted on the library’s website for transparency and consistency. If the policy is approved by the Library Board of Trustees, that should be noted too. Those who are complaining may not agree with it, but it’s more difficult to argue with something that is shared for all to see. A best practice is to limit requests for reconsideration to customers who live in the jurisdiction of the library or library system.
Customers have the right and responsibility for what they and their children choose to check out, and for reviewing items before their kids check them out, if that is their preference. They do not, however, have the right to dictate what other parents may and may not have access to checking out.
Political Support, Including Legislation
Many states are using legislation to protect the freedom to read and push back against censorship. In Illinois, the recently enacted Library System Act requires that state libraries adopt the long-standing American Library Association’s Bill of Rights or create a statement prohibiting the practice of banning books to be eligible for state funding. This is a strong statement that has been criticized by some who note that many libraries are already struggling for funding, and they may be stuck in a situation that is out of their control due to local politics.
California’s bill AB-1078 Instructional Materials and Curriculum: Diversity takes a different and very specific approach. It prohibits “restricting access to classroom and library materials because they feature LGBTQ people or were written by LGBTQ authors discriminates against LGBTQ people and constitutes censorship in violation of California law and policy. Similarly, efforts to categorically exclude topics related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics, or of present or historical discrimination based on protected characteristics, from school library collections, curricula, or classroom discussions constitute censorship that violates California law and policy.”
In a recent survey of reporting Maryland libraries, 84% had experienced formal book challenges and that number had increased more than 200% from 2019 to 2023. There was also an increase of 263% in informal book challenges.
Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act sponsored by State Delegate Dana Jones and signed into law by Governor Wes Moore, took effect July 1, 2024, and pushes back against efforts to ban books in schools and libraries across the state. Delegate Jones said, “I wrote and sponsored the Freedom to Read Act because books were being taken off the shelves and librarians were being threatened in Maryland. A recent report from the ALA highlighted that Maryland is one of 17 States, alongside others like Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio, that have experienced attempts to censor more than 100 titles. I sponsored this bill because librarians came to me, parents came to me, and they told me what they had experienced. Readers do not want the opinions of a few to make decisions on what books are available to them or their communities.”
The bill establishes principles for curating a library collection, protects community collections from deliberate theft, and protects libraries and library staff from being penalized for doing their work within the policies and procedures outlined by their organization. It also protects libraries as they continue to defend against unconstitutional censorship and codifies Maryland’s values of access for all people.
This bill also protects Maryland library staff from being penalized for doing their job and collections from deliberate theft. Steps for prosecuting and punishing violators were stripped out of the bill late in the process, but legislators are working to add those back in the coming session. In the meantime, library policies can be adapted to enforce deliberate censoring.
Shadow banning, the act of checking out items you don’t really want for yourself just so others can’t have them, is harder to target because it may be done under the radar, but some customers are so proud of their efforts that they share them with library staff, with friends and on social media. The bill is new, so it has not been tested yet, but the groundwork has been laid for having clear expectations and holding people accountable.
Library administrators play an important role in supporting these types of legislation and can empower staff to advocate and support legal changes that will protect the rights of library workers and customers.
Book Sanctuaries
A book sanctuary is a physical or digital space that actively protects the freedom to read. It provides shelter and access to endangered books and can be created by anyone and can exist anywhere – in a library, a school, a classroom, a coffee shop, a recreation center, a park, a personal bookshelf or a group on social media.
In 2022, Chicago Public Library was the first system to declare all its libraries book sanctuaries. This means that the library shall be a place where:
- People can borrow and read challenged books;
- Endangered books are accessible to everyone;
- They host book talks, storytimes, and other events about banned and challenged books; and
- People can be educated about the history of book banning and burning.
Other libraries and jurisdictions soon followed suit.
In August 2023, the Hoboken (NJ) Public Library Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution to be a book sanctuary. Director Jennie Pu also worked with her partners in city government and in September 2023, Hoboken became the first Book Sanctuary City in New Jersey. As of early 2024, there are 20 book sanctuary libraries in New Jersey.
Chicago Public Library created a “book sanctuary toolkit” available at https://www.booksanctuary.org/ that outlines exactly how to make this happen, not just in libraries but also in communities, towns, schools, or neighborhoods.
While Hoboken, NJ is a predominantly liberal area, book sanctuaries are popping up in more conservative cities and states as well. According to booksanctuary.org, there are now 3,700+ book sanctuaries in all 50 states. Many are individual owners, but there are also library systems in Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia.
According to the Paris-Bourbon County (KY) Library website, on November 15, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Paris–Bourbon County Public Library declared that the library is a First Amendment Library, committed to protecting freedom of expression for the residents of Bourbon County.
The Books Unbanned program, founded by the Brooklyn Public Library in April of 2022, is another movement to provide free access to banned and challenged books. According to the Urban Libraries Council, Books Unbanned was designed in response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves. Since its creation, the Brooklyn Public Library has partnered with more urban public library systems to offer the program in different areas.
Frontline Support for Threatened Books and Authors
It’s important that library staff read books that are targeted for banning so they are familiar with the content and can provide informed responses. When a customer recently complained about the picture book Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate and referenced a same sex kiss and a character dressed in “bondage apparel,” a review of the book showed that neither of these assertions were true. The relationship between Grandad and Gramps is portrayed in a way that is appropriate for a child reading a picture book. When library staff are familiar with the story, they will be more comfortable discussing and defending it.
In June 2023, in celebration of Pride month, Hoboken Library in partnership with the City of Hoboken, hosted a readathon of banned books called “Read out Loud and Proud.” The event included a reading by a Drag Queen and a raffle of five banned books: This Book is Gay, Gender Queer (the #1 most challenged book of 2022), The Bluest Eye, and They She He ABC.
Encourage staff to add challenged books to displays, and not just during Pride month or Banned Books week. The books are in the collections all year long and should be promoted regularly. The same goes for diverse books used in programs. Not every person will like every book, and that is to be expected. The library will continue to provide a vast selection of books for all so that everyone can find something that suits their lives, their values, and their curiosity.
