ABBEVILLE, KATC - This week, libraries across the nation are participating in Banned Books Week. You can find some of the challenged titles at the Vermilion Parish Library.
According to the American Library Association, Banned Books Week was established in 1982, bringing the entire book community together in shared support of the freedom to read.
In today’s political divide, book ban attempts are becoming all too common. Classic books like Goosebumps by R.L. Stine , The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker are just a few of the books that have been challenged throughout the years.
The books in question often focus on the LGBTQAI+ community and people of color. Vermilion Parish Library Director Charlotte Bourg says these ban attempts attack the freedom to read.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the books that are trying to be banned are predominantly books by and or about people of color and the LGBTQAI+ community and those people deserve to have their story seen as well. Once again, if you don’t want to see that story or read that story, you have the freedom to pick something else,” she said.
In 2023, the number of titles targeted for censorship increased by 92% over the previous year according to theAmerican Library Association.
“Having a choice to select your own material and to view and express your point of view, that’s as American as it gets,” Bourg said.
On average, 343 books were challenged per year between 2010 to 2019. Last year, the number doubled to 695 reported challenges between January 1st through August 1st according to theAmerican Library Association.
While the growing movement to censor books continues, Bourg says the fight to display inclusive material is far from over.
“There's more than just banning books. There’s also something called soft censorship where staff will censor themselves by not putting something on the display (or) by not purchasing that book in fear that something is going to happen and I try to encourage my staff (by saying) no, if that book won an award and if that’s something our patrons want, we need that book,” Bourg says.
For more information on challenged books, click the link below
