Volume XXX: Building Safe Bookish Spaces for All
Ahead of Banned Books Week, what’s the latest?
Introduction
Banned Books Week takes place next week, starting October 1. As we reflect on the latest data from the American Library Association and PEN America, as well as additional reporting, how can we readers continue (or start) to fight for not just libraries, but all bookish spaces? How can we work to make these locations welcoming and safe for all?
[Dear readers: This issue contains discussions of white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, and sexual assault.]
A week-long campaign focused on the “freedom to read,” Banned Books Week has grown in size the past few years, expanding beyond school and public libraries. We all are well-aware by now of the increase in book bans across the United States (and beyond), and their targeting of books predominately by and about LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC authors, as well as books detailing sexual assault. But despite the increase in public knowledge of not just Banned Books Week, but also skyrocketing censorship, it feels like little to nothing has been done to curtail the bans and their harmful impact.
Not only do these bans and coordinated attacks other already historically excluded identities, but the individuals behind them are attempting to instill false histories and discriminatory values. Whether by their own accord, or because of the advocacy groups and legislators forcing change, more and more, libraries and bookstores are solidifying themselves as safe or unsafe for BIPOC folks and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and immigrant communities.
Ahead of Banned Books Week, both the American Library Association (ALA) and PEN America have released their most recent reporting on censorship in the States. In today’s issue, we’re going to look briefly at their findings, and dive into the greater picture: why it’s well past time for all of us to take action to ensure we all are not just able to access libraries and independent bookstores in the future, but safely access them.
A Deeper Look
Over the past few months, various media outlets have reported that public libraries across the country are withdrawing from—or being pushed to withdraw from—the ALA. After demands of censorship toward their book collection, these libraries are now leaving the world’s largest and oldest library association (and nonprofit) due to the belief that they are promoting “political views” in their attempt to fight book bans. Instead, these libraries are turning to newly formed associations, such as the World Library Association, which was founded by Dan Kleinman, aka the blogger behind SafeLibraries.com (a right-wing website that believes the ALA promotes “anti-white racism” and is “anti-Trump”).
“When you see state governments kind of replacing that type of control by librarians with greater control by politically motivated, politically ambitious, politically polarized government officials, I think that’s really troubling for the prospects for free access to ideas,” says Washington University in St. Louis law professor Gregory Magarian.
Libraries are supposed to be places for curiosity, for knowledge. Hand-in-hand is the inherent idea that they should be safe spaces for exploration, with content curated and overseen by trained individuals. The ALA has its flaws; they have a history of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism at their conferences. They have a lot of work to do. Yet the ALA is not at the whim of local leaders and parental “rights” groups. We might not know just yet the full impact of these libraries’ choice to leave, but based on the pattern we’ve seen when libraries are pressured by such groups, we can only start to imagine how negatively consequential it will be, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ children.
In their recently released report, the ALA found that between January 1 and August 31, 2023, there were 695 reported attempts to censor library materials and services, impacting 1,915 titles. This is a 20% increase from the same period in 2022. 49% of these attempts in public libraries were due to a single person or group. In fact, 9 in 10 were part of an attempt to censor multiple titles at the same time, demonstrating mass organization. PEN America’s most-recent report notes the same—the organizations that fought for Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and organized behind right-wing political candidates are those that pushed for censorship of titles in school libraries.
These are the individuals that are shaping organizations such as the World Library Association. And even if libraries don’t withdraw from the ALA, that doesn’t mean they’re “safe” from such bans or threats. The ALA’s report details incidents of withholding budgets, demanding library employee resignations, threatening community members that protect certain books, and more, until the libraries “took action.”
Ways to Respond
The ALA and PEN America might focus their reporting on public libraries, but we’ve also seen how advocacy groups and legislators are trying to restrict bookstores as well, such as the recently failed HB 900 bill in Texas, which the state plans to appeal, and the dismissed lawsuit in Virginia that attempted to restrict what books Barnes & Noble could sell to minors. While we’ve yet to see a successful attempt to censor bookstores (or at least be made aware of one), plenty of other bills are in the circuit, and that doesn’t mean that soft censorship* is not occurring. And in the meantime, bookstores have faced all types of threats.
Despite the dismissive behavior many may have because of the state they live in, these actions are not just occuring in “red” states. Of the 3,362 book bans PEN America tracked between July 1, 2022 to June 31, 2023, 12% (419) occurred in states that voted democratic in the 2020 presidential election. In fact, 49 of the 153 districts where book bans took place voted democratic in the election.
We’ve written numerous times on ways for all of us to take action against these bans—and so have reporters such as BookRiot’s Kelly Jensen.
Read our previous newsletter detailing ways to get involved at a local level.
Read our newsletter on book bans and incarceration.
Check out our Instagram Guide and Highlights detailing more information about statistics and actions to take.
As more students move to the forefront of these fights, where are the adults, where are the publishers and literary agents? Where are those of us who benefitted from our local library and bookstore growing up? Why are we not doing more to protect these institutions and make sure they’re here—for everyone—for years to come? Collective organization is key, yet it perpetually feels like the only collective organization going on is by these parental “rights” groups.
*Soft censorship is when individuals restrict books from reaching readers in less obvious ways—such as refusing to stock them in the first place, or shelving them in low-traffic areas.
Sunday Funnies
Reading every day keeps the doctor away!
Final Musings
In their report, the ALA detailed an incident that took place in Virginia earlier this year, hosted by a local “advocacy” group. The “book-banning BBQ events” targeted books by and about LGBTQIA+ individuals. We talked about this in last month’s newsletter, but being a reader is about more than loving books; it’s about championing them, fighting for their importance, and helping guarantee others have access to critical stories. It’s about supporting Latine-owned stores all years long, not just during Latine Heritage Month; championing authors from around the world beyond Women in Translation Month; advocating for library card sign ups so libraries continue to receive funding; and creating spaces that are the opposite of such book-banning BBQs—spaces that drown such harmful events out, and make it clear that BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrant, survivors of assault, and disabled readers are safe and find representation on the page.
We’ll be back in a few weeks with a deep dive into a recent read! In the meantime, make sure to check out our free downloads (wallpapers, templates, and more), and our exclusive downloads for newsletter subscribers (with password newsletterdownloads). And if you’ve been fighting book bans in your district or state, we’d love to know more—if comfortable, please share any resources you’ve found helpful in the comments so we can all better collectively organize.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch via email, the comments below, or Instagram DM.
Xx,
ad astra