by Amy Chow
The Banned Books Display for upper school at The Brearley School created by library assistant and archivist Zoey Ha.
September 22 to 28, 2024 is Banned Books Week! Established by the American Library Association (ALA) in 1982, it is the annual week to promote the right to access information and the freedom to read. This is a good time — actually, it is always a good time — to advocate on behalf of the many creators whose books have been challenged and banned.
In 2023, the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom “tracked 1,247 efforts to censor books and other resources in libraries—an increase of 65% from the year before. In total, 4,240 unique book titles were targeted, many of them representing LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices and experiences.” (American Library Association 2024) It is essential that school librarians are able to do their jobs and curate balanced, inclusive and diverse collections that reflect our students’ experiences as well as show all the ways in which we are different.
I am fortunate and thankful to have the full support of my school’s administration, board of trustees, parent body, faculty and staff. With a collection of approximately 27,000 books, it is certainly safe to say that books are still at the heart of our school. Despite this supportive atmosphere, and given the increase in challenges last year, we decided to strengthen the section of the library collection development policy on Book Challenges by making a couple revisions. The roles of specific administrators were added as designated people to include on the review committee, should one be necessary, and the committee now includes our Director of Equity and Community Engagement as well as the Dean of Academics and the Dean of Faculty, in addition to the Head of School and Head Librarian. We revised our Request for Reconsideration Form to use more specific language and made it so that each request only addresses one item. Being prepared for challenges does not encourage them. It allows us to be thoughtful and prepared and intentional just as we are when we seek to acquire literature that is high quality and appealing to our students. Once the books are on the shelves, they can decide which book is the right one for them.
For ideas on how to get involved, events to attend, and ways to promote Banned Books Week, see this list of resources:
The Banned Books Display for middle school at The Brearley School created by library assistant and archivist Zoey Ha.
Share how you are celebrating the freedom to read at your schools in the comments.
Bibliography
American Library Association. 2024. “Banned Books Week.” Banned and Challenged Books. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned.
