I Ain’t ‘Fraid of No Books

“A Collection of Ideas”

For this week’s reflection, I was particularly drawn to the concept of censorship and book banning taking place in libraries. I really like the above image because it not only makes the point that libraries are a welcoming and diverse space, but also that EVERYONE has the right to choose what materials and information they consume (books, movies, magazines, audiobooks, etc.). I find it ironic that typically the people screaming the loudest for book bans also want limited government that does not interfere in peoples’ lives and freedoms…other than issues they agree with (abortion banning, gun rights, book banning, etc.). The librarian in the video discussing receiving complaints in the same week for both the Bible and Gender Queer is fascinating to me; I’m surprised/not surprised that pro-book banners haven’t tried to ban the
Bible (contains explicit sexual content, torture, murder, incest, being rebellious against parents, and the list goes on). I found the quote about the library being “a collection of ideas” (“‘Gender Queer’ and the culture war in Michigan’s libraries,” 2023) important to remember along with having resources available for ALL people and communities as opposed to a 1984-esque “pre-approved” list of “acceptable” items. Having multifaceted materials that engage communities “across the aisles” is important for having open dialogue and awareness of diverse viewpoints and opinions; I mean, we do live in “the home of the free,” right?

I also really enjoyed reading Bill Konigsberg’s open letter referring to book banning with all the snark included. People going on “witch hunts” to find books that fit whatever criteria they deem inappropriate (I mean, come on, “rebellious against parents?!) need to actually READ the material they are ranting about before they decide to keep copy/pasting the same info for each item…that’s super embarrassing.

References

Konigsberg, B. (2022, February 18). An open letter to parents who wish to ban my books from school libraries. Bill Konigsberg. https://billkonigsberg.com/an-open-letter-to-parents-who-wish-to-ban-my-books-from-school-libraries/?fbclid=IwAR28uSvWBPzksyi5RbV4PSLV_1HV827g8fXRwc8u4i0RXgGKBD9ZEqSrwlE

MLive. (2023, May 18). ‘Gender Queer’ and the culture war in Michigan’s libraries. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x043zuGWgMA&t=497s