Banned Books Week: Public libraries are the solution to disinformation
Challenges against books are nothing new, and they’re the reason why libraries and their communities are once again celebrating your right to read by observing Banned Books Week, Sept. 26 – Oct. 2.
Books and authors have always been targeted for censorship and/or being “cancelled.” This is because of opposition to content along religious, moral, and other grounds, as well as mistrust in the “other side.”
These actions stand in direct contrast to the rights outlined in both the First Amendment and libraries’ fundamental belief in the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights.
Why this year’s observance of Banned Books week matters
From 2015 through 2020, the ALA tracked 1,832 formal challenges against more than 1,700 books. Some of the most common topics that were challenged:
● LGBTQIA+ content
● Discussion/description of sexual acts
● Presenting an anti-police viewpoint
● Promotes a particular religious viewpoint
● Course or vulgar language
● Racist material
Somehow, this year’s observance seems more significant than ever.
We’ve seen the anti-expression stance expand the past few years into the “disinformation wars,” in which our government, private companies (including social media and Big Tech groups), the mass media, and individual citizens are engaging each other not to discuss, but to discredit and silence.
Whether it’s climate change supporters vs. skeptics, Democrats vs. Republicans, liberals vs. conservatives, or vaccination vs. anti-vaccination, we are admittedly so polarized that reasonable and factbased discussion seems all but lost to us.
We must reverse ‘disinformation wars’ and return to civil discourse
Banned Books Weeks celebrates our differences and reminds us that public libraries are part of the solution.
In addition to being non-partisan, libraries are gateways to accessing reliable, accurate information. We identify and vet sources carefully; provide a wide array of materials on different topics; present diverse and alternate viewpoints; and provide access equally, regardless of economic, social, gender or racial status.
As a result, in 2017, Pew Research Center reported that 78% of Americans trust the public library as the place to find reliable, fact-based information. This contrasts with a recent Gallup poll indicating about 40% of us trust mass media. Pew also found that only 24% of Americans trust our elected officials to do the right thing. And, in addition, this distrust extends to non-political matters such as information on the economy, social justice and basic facts.
One way we can both stop these challenges against intellectual freedom in books and literature and reverse the “disinformation wars” that plague our society is to reestablish equitable civil discourse.
To do that, we need resilient forums where people can connect and engage each other without fear or prejudice, where reliable information is close at hand, and where individuals may come to agreement or respectfully disagree.
Your public libraries are the perfect place to start.