As I have been reporting here on the blog and as the bulk of my ALA Annual recap posts recount, the incidents of outside forces looking to remove titles they disagree with from libraries is out of control. They have tipped the scales in their favor and are gaining speed on the downhill. I hate to be a downer to start the week, but the truth is the truth.
One of the biggest mistake we are making, as library workers, in our response to these organized attacks is NOT speaking out again this challenges. We are so focused on their attacks as we try to counter each move they make, that we are forgetting there is action on our side.
We need to tell our legislators in force, how we feel. We especially need to contact the school superintendents, principals, and library directors in our communities and tell them we want diverse materials in our collections, that we disagree with those speaking louder than us, that we appreciate all of the work they are doing to provide access to a wide and diverse amount of materials, that we want books by marginalized voices there for our children to learn about as much of the world as possible.
We aren't doing that. Why? Honestly, I think a lot of it is because we know we are on the side of right and we just trust that right will win. Well guess what? "Right" is losing and losing badly. Why? Because those who feel differently than us are fighting hard and loud. They are drowning out our voice. And they have political organization and money being them.
I know this as a library worker, but also as an elected library board member. We not only are encouraging our supporters to write us letters so that we have their support if we get challenges, but we have also sent representative to the school board meetings. Our President has stood up to comment and praise the school for standing up against parents who did ask them to remove materials. I personally emailed the superintendent to thank him for doing what is best for our students, and in my email told him, I know you hear way more negative than positive, so I wanted to make sure someone told you what you are doing is appreciated.
How many of you are doing that? Seriously, check yourself right now because I know most of you are not.
I am someone who emails my legislators at least once a week. I use form letters from organizations I follow, but I am vigilant. It does not take that long to send an email. And I do it over and over again. And my legislators are all on my side; I am in a very blue state and area. But I still do it. Why, it gives them ammunition to fight back. And don't kid yourself, it has escalated to ammunition at this point.
This is needed right now and Book Riot is here to help you with a step by step guide on how to contact your legislators.
Read it, follow the steps, and do it. Recruit your patrons to do the same. Any patron who you know would help. Forward this to your Friends of the Library and have them get the word out. And don't stop with state and federal legislators. Send letters to every member of the school board and library board in the town where you live. Help your family and friends do the same where they live. Do it now because when the school year starts, the other side is mobilizing to go hard against us-- everywhere. But if they have tons of letters of support for diverse collections, the book banners will have a harder time. Don't think you are safe. On paper, my community is safe, but we have been preparing to be attacked for months.
This is the best thing you can do RIGHT now with your time and your anxiety. There is more to do, but this is a start. I would also suggest following all of Book Riot's excellent, comprehensive, and useful censorship coverage, led by Kelly Jensen, here.
But, first, here is the introduction to this specific article. Please read it. Every little bit helps.
If you’ve been paying attention to local and national news, you’ve probably noticed a notable uptick in censorship and book banning. This has been a coordinated effort at the school district, library, community, and state level primarily targeting LGBTQ+ books and books by BIPOC authors. It’s a deeply concerning trend, especially as we’re seeing these bans instigated by politicians and local legislators, rather than from individual parents of students, as has largely been the case for book challenges in the past. If you’re an advocate for free speech and open access to information and books of all kinds, then now is the time to speak out and contact your legislators and local school board. Your voice is especially needed if you live in an area where book bans are being actively considered or have recently passed. In this guide, I’ll provide the information you need to research the issue in your area and tips for how to contact your legislators about book bans. I also hope to explain why your voice is important for fighting censorship.
PEN America, an organization dedicated to human rights and freedom of expression in literature, recently published an in-depth report on the rise in book bans. They found that, between July 2021 and March 2022, 86 school districts across 26 states banned titles, impacting over 2 million students. Of the over 1,100 books singled out in these bans, 41% star BIPOC characters, 22% directly address race or racism, and 33% include LGBTQ+ themes or characters. At Book Riot, we’ve been working hard to keep readers up-to-date on censorship news and concerning trends for libraries and schools. But the most impactful way to fight book bans is grassroots advocacy from constituents who live in the area and can speak to why censorship hurts their community.
Click here to continue reading and ACT.
No comments:
Post a Comment