SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — This year, Banned Books Week runs from Oct. 1-7. It's a nationwide campaign held each year to celebrate the freedom to read.
This year's theme is "Let Freedom Read." The goal of the campaign is to draw attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools and bookstores.
According to data from the American Library Association (ALA), there's been at least 695 attempts to ban or restrict access to library materials this year, and 1,915 book titles have been targeted. Most of the books being challenged are written by people of color or people in LGBT+ communities.
“These attacks on our freedom to read should trouble every person who values liberty and our constitutional rights,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “To allow a group of people or any individual, no matter how powerful or loud, to become the decision-maker about what books we can read or whether libraries exist, is to place all of our rights and liberties in jeopardy.”
Each year readers of all types recognize Banned Books Week. That includes librarians, teachers, booksellers, publishers, writers, journalists and many more. The Sacramento Public Library is participating in the campaign, saying everyone should be able to choose for themselves and their families what they read.
"Banned Books Week is important because it really highlights the purpose of America's public libraries, which is to let anyone use the resources that we have to better their lives," said Peter Coyl, Library Director and CEO of Sacramento Public Library. "We're supporting Banned Books Week this year. Our staff have Let Freedom Read t-shirts. We also have stickers and buttons for the public. There are posters in the library and we're hosting activities and programs. We also have a special edition of Let Freedom Read library cards for people to show their support of the First Amendment the whole year."
The ALA explains the vast majority of challenges to library books and resources were initiated by a parent who wanted to remove or restrict access to a book their child was reading. Other groups that challenge books and access to resources include political and religious groups, boards and administrations, librarians and teachers, and elected officials.
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“What this data set does not reveal are the people who want books that speak to their lived experience and librarians who want to make books accessible to people who find them relevant. Both are under attack,” said ALA President Emily Drabinski. "ALA invites everyone who cares about protecting the freedom to read to show up to support their libraries at a local school or library board meeting, participate in Banned Books Week initiatives in October, and join the Unite Against Book Bans campaign to fight censorship.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Newsom recently signed AB 1078. The new law is designed to end book bans in schools, prohibits censorship of instructional materials, and strengthen the state's law requiring schools to provide all students access to textbooks that teach about diverse communities.
“From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across the country are attempting to whitewash history and ban books from schools," said Newsom. "With this new law, we’re cementing California’s role as the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them.”
Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson, who introduced AB 1078, says it's all about taking a bold stance against "the disturbing trend of book banning." He goes on to explain the legislation ensures book banning no longer threatens the educational experience of students in the state.
“It is the responsibility of every generation to continue the fight for civil and human rights against those who seek to take them away,” said Jackson. "California has met this historical imperative and we will be ready to meet the next one.”
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