Image taken on 2007-01-30 18:56:20 by DML East Branch.
79 Responses to “Banned Books Week Banner”
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March 18th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
very interesting!
Hi! I am manager of a group called Books / books / books and we’d love to have this added to the group!
March 18th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
As a writer I’m always glad to see things like this, and folks like you keeping the jerks of the world on their toes.
But in the interests of honesty, we really need to be more specific about what we’re talking about here. There is no censorship if we’re talking about the government preventing something from being read. Also, these books are no doubt "challenged," but while I would never challenge one of them, this is the taxpayer saying "I don’t want my tax money going to promote this kind of thing."
Those folks have every right to challenge any book bought with their taxes–heck, I can think of a few (say, terrorist manuals) I’d challenge if they were to appear in my local taxpayer-funded library.
Those folks ALSO have to be told, repeatedly, that that’s not how our system works–the tax money is given to those whose job it is to decide what goes into a public library and what doesn’t, and if those making these decisions do so based on some political bias, for example, that can be taken into consideration when their job performance is evaluated.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with ASKING why a controversial book was bought; similarly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taxpayer-funded employees explaining themselves and their choices. None of this means any of these books should be banned, but we do have to be considerate of all taxpayers, not just those adhering to our personal philosophies–unless we want to forego taking taxes from those "other" folks.
March 18th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
@jstories65
Very good points. "Censorship" and "ban" are, in our opinion, ugly and emotive terms that are used when a dry, objective term would work best. We’ve been talking about these terms for quite some time, and agree that though they’re not words we like to use, they are two words that apply to certain situations. "Censorship" can take place at a nation-wide, state-wide, or even at a community-wide level. Thankfully, our system of government allows us to recognize censorship when it happens, and gives citizens the means to eliminate it. One of the more interesting occurances of censorship in the United States was from the 1950s when US Customs seized more than 500 copies of Ginsberg’s "Howl". As I said though, we are fortunate as a nation to have the tools and resources as citizens to ensure censorship is not an on-going practice.
Libraries appreciate public input on just about anything, especially print and A/V materials. Our aim is definitely to appeal to all persons, tax-paying or not (children are HUGE supporters of libraries!) with our collections, but we’re also given the task of making sure our collections are well-rounded. One can’t make a well-rounded collection through removal of materials, but one can when they continually add materials from all view points. The best input a library can get is a suggestion, or list of suggestions, of materials to add to our collection. Libraries and their staff love books (and other library materials) so much so that I see library staff all but glow when given suggestions of items to add to our collection. Someone very involved in libraries once wrote that the best response to bad speech is better speech, not silence, and our Supreme Court has long upheld that idea.
Thanks for the great comment! We wish you the best on your novel.
-Eric
March 18th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Figgy Newman (SL) approves of this banner!
March 18th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
i read "lord of the flies" and "i know why a caged bird sings" in high school, i had no idea they had been banned at one point in time.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Why would some of these children books like Tom Sawyer would be banned??
March 19th, 2010 at 12:08 am
@lauren.shiv
In the case of Tom Sawyer you see complaints made about the book due to the shift in our perception of each other. Back when Twain wrote Tom Sawyer, certain language was used to identify ethnic and racial groups that we wouldn’t use today. Historically they’re accurate in their talk, but when viewed today, that’s not something that’s acceptable to be said, and sadly that’s not something that’s easy to come to terms with when you might be very emotional about the use of certain words.
Additionally Tom Sawyer is about a very rebellious boy, and his best friend who is even more rebellious. Both are portrayed as mischievous boys, and some parents have felt that reading about mischievous boys might affect their own children’s attitudes.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:43 am
This is so sad that people are even banning classic books! i read the comment about ‘where’s waldo’ and gosh its such a miniscule picture, the whole entire book shouldn’t be banned!
Also I can’t believe ‘A light in the attic’ is banned! I always read that in elementary school!? WTH!!
I understand some of the books being banned but some amazing books are being taken of the "ok" list for very small things.
March 19th, 2010 at 1:11 am
sorry to comment again but I have read only 5 books and my favorite book has to be ‘flowers for Algernon,’ I love it! The story is so touching
(in my opinion)
March 19th, 2010 at 2:05 am
i can’t believe some of the books on this list x___x
March 19th, 2010 at 2:23 am
i love it!
March 19th, 2010 at 2:56 am
Ag
March 19th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Jesus. I’ve read about 15 or 20 of these and I’m only 14. ^_^
I have to say "Heather Has Two Mommies" should be a book that parents are not afraid to let their children read. My mom gave me that book back in 3rd grade because a girl in my class had "two mommies" and I didn’t understand and my mom didn’t really know how to explain it to me.
My favorite above all is "Go Ask Alice" though. That book is terrific. Another book my mom recommended to me. She read it back when she was like 16 or 17 because HER Mom told her it was a good book. lol. I guess Go Ask Alice is just the Universal book of women in my family. everyone from my Nona to myself and back again has read it. Books should never be banned. Most of the books I read are challenged books, and they are usually 10 times better than books that are "Committee Approved". Sorry. Wanted to vent.
March 19th, 2010 at 4:08 am
"Most of the books I read are challenged books, and they are usually 10 times better than books that are "Committee Approved"." – Sarah™
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves : )
March 19th, 2010 at 4:47 am
The Witches was the greatest book I read in my entire childhood! (besides Harry Potter)
I would think the Golden Compass trilogy would be somewhere up there. It was released in 1995 and it was all about going against the church and performing the original sin. I loved that book, too. =)
March 19th, 2010 at 5:29 am
I own and love so many of these books. I didn’t realize alot of these had made the banned list.
But…
Where’s Waldo??
Really???
WHY
March 19th, 2010 at 5:32 am
"Where’s Waldo" had a little drawing on the beach scene of a lady jumping up topless (shown from the side/back) while someone was spilling water on her. It’s since been republished and covered up! So to see this you’d have to look at one of the first few printings of the book.
The Golden Compass trilogy has been challenged frequently, but apparently not as much as these titles have been.
March 19th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called Political Art Now, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
March 19th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Hello. My summer plans include reading/re-reading as many banned books as I can. I would love to be able to post your art work on my blog…i would of course give you full credit for it. Please let me know if you have any objections.
thanks!
March 19th, 2010 at 6:53 am
I’m in grade 9 and I’ve already read most of those books.
Also, at least 10 of those books are part of my schools curriculum (The Giver, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies…). I guess Canada has less "censorship" than the US.
March 19th, 2010 at 6:59 am
Keep supporting intellectual freedom, and the freedom to choose for yourself and your children! There have been some pretty disappointing events taking place recently in West Bend WI – Link -
Our hearts go out to the community and the library in West Bend. The best way to support your freedom to read is to make sure no one else makes that choice for you.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Wow, I’ve read NINE of those books
March 19th, 2010 at 8:01 am
I very recently started a blog about banned books. You can find it here: thedailybanning.blogspot.com/
I would love to use your photo of the banned books shaped like a flag as the banner for my blog. Photo credit would be provided to you. Please let me know if this is acceptable or if you have terms for use, etc.
March 19th, 2010 at 8:39 am
Oh, the irony.
Your humble author was told his traditionally published book is unfit for library acquisition because it wasn’t approved by magazines like American Library Association (ALA) Booklist, School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly.
So, who’s REALLY banning books these days?
March 19th, 2010 at 8:41 am
@Joe Ekaitis
I’m sorry to hear that the library you spoke with wasn’t able to purchase copies of your book. I can’t speak to their specifics, but it sounds like they’re limited in the amount of materials they can purchase, and prefer to hold to purchasing materials that are reviewed in critical review journals. Keep asking around and I’m sure you’ll find plenty of libraries that will purchase copies of your book.
@DaniL_15 and @VintageCheese
Great! The best thing we can do to remove the taboo of these books being challenged is to read them and understand them.
March 19th, 2010 at 9:38 am
DML East Branch:
Actually, I tried to donate the books. Another librarian, who accepted a copy for his own branch, says it’s standard operating procedure for system-wide acquisitions: no review, no consideration at all. And since a dozen or so media conglomerates get all the review space in most issues of the library review magazines, books from independent royalty-paying publishers are effectively and summarily banned. The whole thing turns Banned Books Week into a seven-day exercise in self-congratulatory hypocrisy.
March 19th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Hi, I’m an admin for a group called NO WORLD FOR TOMORROW, and we’d love to have this added to the group!
March 19th, 2010 at 11:34 am
thank you.
March 19th, 2010 at 11:36 am
they BANNED Where’s Waldo?!