Banned Book Week begins

Banned Book Week begins
By Amy Wooten
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
September 17, 2009
http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3894


Literature that contains GLBT-positive messages or deals with sexuality is frequently the target of challenges brought forth by conservative parents, individuals and groups. Many people fight to get these materials out of a school’s curriculum or library, or off the shelves of a public library.

Case in point: “And Tangle Makes Three,” a popular children’s book based on the true story of two male penguins who raise a chick in New York’s Central Park Zoo, has topped the American Library Association’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books list for three years in a row.

Several of the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008 contained gay-positive language, including Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s “And Tango Makes Three,” Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and a children’s book about same-sex marriage, Sarah Brannen’s “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding.” All four authors will be participating in the ALA’s Banned Books Week Read-Out! event on Sept. 26, held at the Newberry Library. The Read Out! kicks off Banned Books Week, an annual ALA event that sheds light on continued attempts to restrict access to materials based on the objections of a person or group. Often, these challenges are an attempt to remove the material from a school’s curriculum or a library.

While most challenges fail, the ALA feels that it’s important to continue to educate people about the issue.

Most challenges will continue to be unsuccessful only if people continue to speak up and fight these attempts to restrict access to literature, according to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, acting director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Each year, parents, conservative groups and others in cities all over the country challenge books, from classics to newer children’s books and young adult novels. Many are motivated by their opposition to what they perceive is inappropriate language or sexual content in a book. From 2001-2008, American libraries were faced with 3,736 reported challenges. Of those reported incidents, 1,225 were due to “sexually explicit” material; 1,008 were due to “offensive language;” 720 were due to material deemed “unsuited to age group;” 458 were due to “violence;” 269 were due to “homosexuality;” 103 were due to material deemed “anti-family” and 233 were due to “religious viewpoints.”

During that time period, mostly parents (51 percent) prompted these challenges. Additionally, most challenges were of materials used in K-12 classrooms and materials available in public libraries. There were some, although very few, challenges to materials used in college courses available in academic libraries.

The ALA started observing Banned Book Week in 1982. It’s meant as a reminder for Americans to not take the freedom to read for granted. It also celebrates the many people—librarians, teachers and others—who have fought hard to keep books on the shelves in our public libraries and schools.

“Banned Book Week celebrates one of our most important freedoms: the freedom to read,” Caldwell-Stone said.

While many people know that challenges against books continue, many aren’t aware of the types of literature that are targeted.

“When people ask me about book banning, I’ll mention “And Tango Makes Three,” Caldwell-Stone said. “And many say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s a children’s book.’”

The ALA estimates that about 6 percent of books are challenged because they contain gay-positive content. Some people also challenge these books because they feel that they are “anti-family,” a label conservative groups and individuals often slap on children’s books like “And Tango Makes Three” and “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding.”

Caldwell-Stone said while it’s too early to tell if “And Tango Makes Three” will top the list for the fourth year in a row, “The fact that it’s still on the Top Ten list is very telling,” she said. She added that “Perks of Being a Wallflower” is almost a “guaranteed perennial” on the list, as well. The young adult novel is also frequently challenged because of its references to suicide, sex and drugs.

While the majority of books are challenged due to perceived inappropriate sexual or language content, Caldwell-Stone said that books challenged because of their GLBT content is still a concern.

“It’s a growing reason for challenges,” she said. “Three of the Top Ten challenged books (in 2008) are because of their gay-positive content.”

“There is a minority movement to remove these books,” Caldwell-Stone added.

One of the other purposes of Banned Book Week is to also serve as a reminder that people who want a diverse selection of materials in their public and school libraries need to stand up and fight these challenges. If people don’t voice their concerns, the removal of literature can have a negative impact on children and others.

When individuals or groups place pressure to put restrictions on accessing, for instance, GLBT books, “It is detrimental to young people wanting information or questioning these issues,” Caldwell-Stone said. “They need access to these materials.”

Caldwell-Stone recommends that same-sex families demand that they are represented in the literature available at local libraries and schools. In addition to standing up against current and future book challenges, GLBTs can volunteer for the school library or get involved with the local public library.

“Be vigilant about what is going on there,” Caldwell-Stone said, noting that challenges often fail when the public speaks up.

“Like all good things, you need to fight to preserve the right to read freely.”

Learn more at bannedbooksweek.org.