Oct 02 2007
Archive for the 'censorship' Category
Oct 02 2007
Banned Book Week again
It’s Banned Book Week again, and I wanted to say something about that. Actually, Jessamyn West said it better, so here it is:
Banning books is bad. Challenging books is an exercise in free speech and a totally appropriate way of giving community feedback on library selection policies. Lumping challenged and banned books together confuses two different issues, to my mind.
Anyway, I think that she’s exactly right. Taking something completely away (banning) not only deprives others of the book, it also takes away the possibility that they might read it and decide for themselves whether or not the material is of interest. Challenging something, on the other hand, is a form of protest that does not take away the rights of other people– it registers the displeasure of the challenger in a constructive way but does not remove the ability for others to look for themselves and come to their own conclusions. While I may not agree with the challenger’s views, I think that a book challenge done in a responsible, respectful fashion is a great way to begin a conversation about library selection policies, intended audience, and community needs.
In another vein, as noted by The Onion: Nation’s Teens Disappointed By Banned Books