Censorship in Schools and Libraries

We have an exhibit up in our library called "Censorship in Schools and Libraries". The exhibit is sponsored by the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship, which is an association of educational and community organizations that have joined together to oppose censorship and to defend the rights of free speech and free press as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The purpose of the exhibit is to bring awareness to the various types of censorship and all the challenges it has produced in schools and libraries. The exhibit features 34 illustrations and explanations on censorship.

We have put up this exhibit to coincide with Banned Books Week at the end of this month. Banned Books Week, celebrated every year by libraries around the country is meant to bring attention to books that have been challenged (their removal from school or library shelves was requested). According to the Office of Intellectual Freedom (a subdivision of the American Library Association) there were 420 reported challenges in 2007. It is often estimated that many more go undocumented every year.

As I have said before, this is probably one of my favorite weeks of the year. I love the whole idea behind Banned Books Week. But more importantly, I love the chance to educate the patrons I serve about an issue that I feel very strongly about. It continually amazes me that there are challenges to materials in libraries. It amazes me even more that sometimes those items get removed. Most often than not, the reason for the challenge is that someone is offended by the content or language used in a book. If I could make a list of everything in our library that offended me, it would be very long. No lie. It would. But I also know that if those books that I can't stand weren't here, I wouldn't have a job. That's the beauty in libraries...we support all ideas. No matter how controversial, unconventional, or ridiculous the idea might seem to some, we at libraries will do our best to protect it and provide access to it.

I would highly encourage all of you to come out and see the exhibit. It is very interesting and at times even a bit humorous and shocking. But it is an important lesson that needs to be taught, and I hope that you all will be willing to learn.