HomeDevelop Yourself Expose Your Mind to a Banned Book

[Citizens] must always remain free to inquire, to study and evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding...[to] explore the unknown, and discover areas of interest and thought...[for] access to ideas makes it possible for citizens generally to exercise their rights of free speech and press in a meaningful manner . . . [The] library is the principal locus of such freedom.—Board of Education v. Pico (1982)

A Boy Scout from California, a Pennsylvania high school freshman, a Michigan sheep farmer, and a high school teacher learned the importance of these words last year. As fans of Harry Potter, they discovered they needed to speak out to protect and promote their right to read, joining a host of librarians, publishers and booksellers. Why? Because the Harry Potter books topped the list of most challenged books for 2000 for the second year running. Among the most popular titles published in years, these books are magical. They are about good and evil, a classic theme in children’s books. The Harry Potter books are also special. They make children want to read; and they make parents want to read these books along with their children. Despite their appeal, the Harry Potter books attracted three times the number of challenges during the past year, drawing complaints from parents and others concerned about the books’ alleged occult/Satanic theme, religious viewpoint, anti-family approach and violence.

Joining Harry Potter on this year’s top ten most-challenged list are other favorite titles, many considered the best novels of the last century. Four of this year’s top ten were among the most censored books of the last decade; among them are Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories. Challenges to these titles and many others persist; more troubling, they increased over the past year. In fact, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom logged 646 challenges in 2000, a whopping 37 percent increase over the 472 challenges received the previous year.

In libraries throughout the country, the Harry Potter books and many other titles loved by children and adults alike remain on the shelves thanks to the dedication and commitment of librarians, teachers, journalists, and others who speak out to defend our freedom to read. Nevertheless, each time a book is challenged, restricted, removed or banned, creators are less likely to express themselves. Indeed, just the fear of censorship puts a chilling effect on writers, publishers, teachers and librarians who risk their jobs and reputation when they dare to confront controversies over the public’s right to read.

When we celebrate Banned Books Week this year, we celebrate our most basic freedom in a democratic society—the freedom of speech. But we cannot take this freedom for granted. Books and information access continue to be banned throughout the United States and elsewhere in the world. Part of living in a democracy means respecting each other’s differences and the right of all people to choose for themselves what they will read and think.

As the information revolution has changed the way we live, learn, work, and govern, we cannot simply assume that we have access to all the resources and points of view that we desire. Access to abundance does not ensure access to diversity. Censorship in America is flourishing in the 21st century. The culprits, whether public officials, private interests or decency groups, employ a variety of techniques to control free expression, denying others the cherished democratic rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The vigilance and activism of those concerned with protecting free expression is more important than ever if the American ideals embedded in the First Amendment are to remain the beacon of our way of life in the new millennium.

Librarians are dedicated to ensuring free and open access to information so that everyone can participate in our democracy. Every day in every community, we stand in defense of this principle. We ensure that libraries are inclusive, that no person or idea is excluded. We also help people sort through a bewildering amount of information, teaching children as well as adults the critical viewing and information skills they need to make good judgments about the material that they encounter in books, on the Internet and elsewhere. We do not help children when we simply wall them off from information and ideas that are controversial or disturbing. If they are to succeed in the information age, they must become discerning users of information.

Since the adoption of the Constitution, Americans have believed that maximum access to public information sources and channels of communication is necessary so that everyone can participate in a vigorous democracy. Democracies need libraries to ensure that access. Libraries are the only American institutions that make knowledge, ideas, and information freely available to all citizens. They are the place where people can find differing opinions on controversial questions and dissent from current orthodoxy. They serve as the source for the pursuit of independent thought, critical attitudes, and in-depth information. And in so doing, they guard against the tyranny of ignorance, the Achilles’ heel of every democracy. Libraries in a free society perform the fundamental function of keeping the public well informed. They ensure the freedom of speech, the freedom to read, the freedom to view. They provide safe spaces for public dialogue. They provide the resources needed for the public to inform itself in order to participate in every aspect of our information society.

In an age when new technologies are reshaping the way we seek, utilize and distribute information, citizens must remain free to inquire, to study, to evaluate and to exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech in a meaningful manner. If the library is the principal locus of such freedom, then librarians must pick up the gauntlet—speak up and fight for the public’s information rights. We must act as the trail blazers in promoting access as well as the watch dogs in protecting public access to information. Otherwise, we will endanger our most precious right in a democratic society—the right of free speech and inquiry. At risk is not only public access to information, but also the very survival of the democratic system that safeguards our cherished freedoms and rights.

As ALA President in 2000–2001, Nancy Kranich focused on the role of libraries in democracies, undertaking advocacy, civic engagement, digital divide and information literacy projects. Previously, she was Associate Dean of Libraries at New York University.

Nancy has appeared on the Today Show, the C-Span Washington Journal, and National Public Radio, and was featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post. Her notable publications include: Libraries and Democracy: The Cornerstones of Liberty (Chicago, ALA, 2001); “Libraries for 2020: Ensuring Public Participation in the 21st Century Information Society,” iMP: Information Impacts Magazine, (March 2001); “Assessing Internet Access: The Public Library Meets the First Amendment in the Information Age,” Media Studies Journal, (Fall 2000): 42–45; (To print the article, set Adobe Reader to print pages 53–56.) and “The Selling of Cyberspace: Can Librarians Protect Public Access?” Library Journal (Nov. 15, 1993).

Nancy earned a master's degree in Public Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, and an M.A. in Library Science and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Links to non-ALA sites have been provided because these sites may have information of interest. Neither the American Library Association nor the Office for Intellectual Freedom necessarily endorses the views expressed or the facts presented on these sites; and furthermore, ALA and OIF do not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available on these sites.