“Today, some of the books that shaped my life and the lives of so many others — are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. And librarians are on the front lines, fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone.”
Historically, Massachusetts has played a major role with public libraries in America. I've always thought the Franklin, MA Public Library was the oldest in the US. But apparently, Franklin is the oldest "lending" library, and there are numerous other "firsts" in Colonial American library history, which includes Harvard University, Northampton, MA, and Peterborough, NH.
Let's agree libraries were important to colonial America, libraries are crucial in a democratic society, and Massachusetts has been important in the development and growth of public libraries. Let's also agree that Massachusetts has been a progressive leader in quality of life such as quality of life, healthcare, and education.
On the surface, that is why book bans in Massachusetts would seem to be an oxymoron. Yet the statistics for book bans in Massachusetts paints a somewhat different picture. In 2022, Massachusetts was a national leader in another category, "Attempts to Restrict Access to Books". The same trend continued in 2023.
The history of book bans in the US is not new. There have been numerous individuals and groups who believe they know best for the rest of us. But the number of bans and censorship has escalated dramatically over the last several years. This is despite polls showing that voters oppose book bans in libraries. According to the American Library Association:
"Large majorities of voters (71%) oppose efforts to have books removed from their local public libraries, including a majority of Democrats (75%), independents (58%), and Republicans (70%). Most voters and parents hold librarians in high regard, have confidence in their local libraries to make good decisions about what books to include in their collections, and agree that libraries in their communities do a good job offering books that represent a variety of viewpoints."
So why the recent escalation in bans and censorship? Particularly in progressive Massachusetts? Why do we tolerate, in essence, tyranny by the minority? If you find a book personally offensive, don't read it. If you are a concerned parent, manage your child's reading selections. That's your prerogative and responsibility. But don't presume to know what's best for the rest of us. Just as hate speech should not be tolerated and countered by speech that represents the community's values, attempts to restrict books should be countered by more reading, more discussion, and more awareness that the public library is fundamental in a democracy.
“If there’s one American belief I hold above all others, it’s that those who would set themselves up in judgment on matters of what is ‘right’ and what is ‘best’ should be given no rest; that they should have to defend their behavior most stringently. As a nation, we’ve been through too many fights to preserve our rights of free thought to let them go just because some prude with a highlighter doesn’t approve of them.”
— Stephen King
“A dangerous book will always be in danger from those it threatens with the demand that they question their assumptions. They’d rather hang on to the assumptions and ban the book.”
— Ursula K. Le Guin
“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
— Virginia Woolf
Comments