How to Counter the Surge in Book Bans
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There’s an alarming surge in book bans in America, with school libraries in at least seven states removing books at the behest of community members. Twenty-nine states have introduced bills or taken other steps to restrict the teaching or discussion of racism and sexism. What to do? The Authors Guild lists three ways to help counter the trend.
The rise in the number of book bans is unprecedented, according to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, executive director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “I’ve worked for ALA for 20 years, and I can’t recall a time when we had multiple challenges coming in on a daily basis,” she told Time magazine recently.
Banning of books suppresses free speech and freedom of expression, and it’s therefore unconstitutional. And yet, the practice persists. The ALA releases the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books” list every year. “Challenged” refers to a formal written complaint filed with a library or a school requesting that a book be removed or restricted because of its content. Books are challenged for a variety of reasons such as offensive language, sexually explicit content, portrayal of violence, and religious viewpoint.
As of late last year, 29 states have introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how K-12 teachers can discuss racism and sexism, according to the Authors Guild. “These laws often include confusing and wide-sweeping restrictions on discussions of, and texts related to, race, gender, and sexuality in general,” the group said.
3 Things You Can Do
The guild, America’s oldest and largest professional organization of writers, lists these simple ways to help counter book bans:
Send an email to your town or city school board to express your concern.
Write a short op-ed or letter to your local newspaper about the dangers of censorship.
Send an email or letter to your state representative expressing your concern.
Full disclosure: I’m a member of the Authors Guild.
Read the Authors Guild’s call for action.
Read another story about the Authors Guild:
AI & Publishing: Fine Line Between Opportunity & Copyright Violation
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