A battle for intellectual freedom
Far-right campaigns to ban books have forced public and school libraries to become battlefields of cultural repression, instead of peaceful oases of intellectual riches accessible to all. Nevertheless, resistance finds multiple paths to defend the freedom to read.
A recent PBS newscast highlighted nationwide campaigns to ban books from children’s and teen’s sections. However, millages for the Detroit Public Library and the library in Alpena, Michigan, were firmly supported by voters on Aug. 3, even though Detroit homeowners will face a property tax increase and Alpena was flooded by a campaign against the library. Also, in the primary election, 54% of residents in Dickinson County approved a millage to continue funding their local library, despite a campaign to defeat it.
Cherish your local library
A campaign in Alpena is trying to have the libraries remove sex-themed books from the children’s and teen’s shelf areas but the library has refused to do so. Backed by a Supreme Court ruling (Board of Education v. Pico, 1982), libraries would violate the First Amendment if they remove books based on individual or group objections to their content.
In an escalation of Michigan’s book wars, the Alpena County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 to fire its all-volunteer public library board. Yard signs urge voters to “Vote NO on Library Grooming” and include an image of a man handing an “X-Rated” book to a young girl. That battle was similar to a 2022 fight in Ottawa County’s Jamestown Township, which voted to defund the Patmos Public Library because of LGBTQ+ themed books available to teens. An operating millage had been voted down twice, and the library only managed to keep its doors open by collecting hundreds of thousands in donations, until voters approved the millage in Nov. 2023.
In March 2023, in Lapeer, the Republican County Prosecutor wanted to take action over the book Gender Queer: A Memoir, as it might “potentially solicit, accost, or entice children for an immoral purpose.”
Book ban advocates spread fear and lies
Efforts to control and suppress information in public libraries ooze falsehoods and disinformation and spread unfounded fear. The campaigns would be better if focused on the internet and social media, which provide a gigantic venue to “solicit, accost, and entice children for an immoral purpose…”
But the internet can also be a powerful weapon for resistance, as Max, age 16, told PBS: “The first book that I read wasn’t the reason I realized I was trans… So now that it’s not being represented, it might be harder for people to realize or even just feel safe in their own identity, and that’s my concern.
“What makes me hopeful is the fact that a lot of other people my age, who are Gen Z, we have access to the internet, and know how much power that can hold. I think that we have the power to stop this if we all pitch in. And I think we can.”
Bear in mind that the proponents of these book bans are generally voting for a man with serial sexual assault cases and has publicly made inappropriate remarks about his daughter, not to mention the “locker room” audio tapes. Also supported by “Gym Jordan” and various “Christian youth counselors” with checkered pasts.
Grassroots resistance spreads
Orchestrated efforts to ban certain books deemed “pornographic” from school libraries across the country are being met with resistance from librarians, students and other groups who say access to a variety of viewpoints is an essential part of a well-rounded education.
In March, the Texas Library Association launched Texans for the Right to Read, a grassroots coalition working to stop schools from removing nearly 850 books cited by a lawmaker in October that primarily address LGBTQ issues, sexuality, women’s issues and race. “The right to receive an education is something that is foundational to America,” TLA President Daniel Burgard said in a statement. “Possibly the most important skill students learn is how to develop a curious mind and think critically about a broad spectrum of subjects. Removing books based on the subjective opinions of elected officials has no place in our state or our democratic republic.”
Students are forming their own clubs to read some of the books that adults want banned, such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and Carmen Maria Machado’s “In the Dream House.” Even authors are speaking out. “Some parents want to pretend that books are the source of darkness in kids’ lives,” Ashley Hope Pérez told NBC News in February. Her young adult novel “Out of Darkness” has been repeatedly targeted for its depiction of a rape scene and other mature content. “The reality for most kids is that difficulties, challenges, harm, oppression — those are present in their own lives, and books that reflect that reality can help to make them feel less alone.”
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the debates over content in schools are a “healthy function of our democracy,” according to an interview with WFAA in Dallas. “School is a place where you want to nurture the minds of young people and it’s important for young people to be exposed to a steadily growing degree of complexity and a diversity of perspectives. It’s really the role of educators and in fact parents to guide students through that journey…”
Despite the recent scrutiny, the law hasn’t changed. School and classroom libraries are viewed as places for voluntary inquiry and are treated differently from instructional materials used in classroom instruction, according to the Texas Association of School Board’s resource Instructional Materials and Library Books in Texas Public Schools — What You Need to Know.
Though local school boards maintain authority over curriculum in compliance with state law, they often delegate the selection of instructional materials to educators, including administrators, teachers, library media specialists, other personnel, parents and community members, as appropriate. Boards also provide that the selection of resources is an ongoing process that includes the removal of resources no longer appropriate.
The power of grassroots organizing
Grassroots resistance against book bans is spreading across the country. In Florida, the Miami-Dade County Public Library System is fighting a law passed in 2022 that requires parental consent for minors to access certain materials. The library system filed a lawsuit challenging the law, calling it a violation of the First Amendment.
In Indiana, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Ridley School District for banning several books, including “Gender Queer” and “Lawn Boy.” The ACLU argues that the district’s actions violate students’ constitutional rights to receive information and ideas.
In New Jersey, the ACLU has also filed a lawsuit against the Collingswood Board of Education for banning books like “Gender Queer” and “Flamer.” The lawsuit claims the district’s actions are unconstitutional and amount to censorship.
These legal challenges, combined with grassroots organizing by students, librarians, and community members, are crucial in the fight to defend intellectual freedom and access to information in our schools and public libraries.
By staying vigilant and continuing to push back against book bans, we can ensure that our libraries remain bastions of knowledge and diversity, where everyone has the freedom to explore, learn, and grow. (https://www.stanleyparkhigh.co.uk/)
Conclusion
The battle over library book bans is a complex and contentious issue, but it is one that must be fought. Grassroots resistance, legal challenges, and the power of young people to organize and speak out are all crucial in this fight.
As we’ve seen, book ban advocates are often driven by misinformation, fear, and a desire to control what information and perspectives are available to the public, especially to young people. But this is a battle we must win, for the sake of intellectual freedom, diversity of thought, and the fundamental rights enshrined in the First Amendment.
By standing up for our libraries, our schools, and the right to read, we can ensure that our educational institutions remain vibrant, inclusive, and dedicated to nurturing curious, critical-thinking minds. The future of our democracy depends on it.
