On Banned Books

Did you know that in the past year state legislatures across the U.S. have introduced over 100 bills to ban or restrict books in public and school libraries?

School librarians have been maligned, called groomers, and even lost their jobs, because extreme politicians, school board members, and political groups have targeted them in their aim to restrict what children can read.

There have been laws passed in Arkansas and Oklahoma to allow librarians to be prosecuted for “distributing obscene content.” Is the material in question obscene? While it’s true that not all books are meant for all readers, that’s precisely why libraries are organized in age-appropriate sections and hire qualified librarians to help readers navigate the literary landscape. And what may be appropriate for one young reader may not be appropriate for someone else.

But does that mean we take books off the shelf? 

What’s equally disturbing is that even though the majority of children’s books still feature white main characters, books by diverse authors featuring diverse characters are disproportionately targeted by these book banners. This creates less opportunity for children to see themselves in the books they read or gain insight into the lives of others who may be different from them. 

When a child reads about someone different from themselves, that child builds empathy, an important developmental tool. Learning empathy helps children make better connections and develop healthy relationships. It makes them care about more than just themselves.

Conversely, and as importantly, when a child reads about someone just like them experiencing similar hardships or joys, that child feels seen, understood, and less alone. 

At the Children’s Council or Southern California, we are committed to the fight for literary access and freedom. 

Our CLCSC Secretary, longtime board member, and Senior Librarian of Children Services at Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) was featured on Jimmy Kimmel with other Southern California librarians addressing the absurdity of book bans in a short video that gets to the heart of it.

Check it out here

We’d like to know what you are experiencing in your school or local library. What are the forces that you are dealing with, and how can we be of help?

Let’s get through this together!