Please Reconsider Supporting Banned Books Week w/ an Assist from Miss Julie

Over the last few years, I have been among a growing group of people who have urged you to reconsider the entire concept of Banned Books Week.

Click here for last year when I urged you to NOT celebrate banning books but rather shift your focus to the "Freedom to Read."

But this is not strong enough. I was already thinking about how I was going to be more firm about why Banned Books Week is problematic this year, but then my friend and colleague Julie had this post, "reasons I despise banned books week." 

I trust, admire, and truly like Julie as a human. She is my go-to person for any YS questions or concerns. This post is strong, clear, and smart. And as she says at the very end:

"Consider this my perpetual treatise on banned books week. So long and thanks for all the misplaced effort."

Please click through and read Julie's post listing the 7 reasons why Banned Books Week is no good in any way. 

And I understand that this frank conversation may make many of you uncomfortable. Especially those of you will huge displays that just went up. Heck, I am uncomfortable looking back at old posts where I glorified incarceration by posing with a banned book like a mug shot and thought this was GREAT promotion. 

This is what Robin and I mean when we we talk to all of you about being comfortable with being uncomfortable. We have all misstepped, but getting upset about being called out about "bad" behavior is not the goal. We are all learning and growing. Acknowledge problems [as I have above and try to do always] and vow to do better going forward. Systemic racism and oppression are solidly entrenched. It will take years of thoughtful action to even make a dent. 

Let's start now by ignoring Banned Books Week. Below are links to Julie's EXCELLENT blog and the specific post.

reasons I despise banned books week