Willow Glen Resident
Community
Banned Books Week offers readers chance to check out the controversy
By Laura Rheinheimer
Every day in a public library, somebody will complain about a book in the collection, according to Kent Oliver, chairman of the Intellectual Freedom Committee for the American Library Association.
Most of these complaints are reviewed, and the library or institution keeps the book, Oliver said, but some highly public cases result in removing the book from the shelf.
The association started observing Banned Books Week 25 years ago in order draw attention to the types of books being challenged. Sept. 23-30, the American Library Association and book stores across the country feature some of their best literature--straight off the banned books list.
In San Jose, booksellers and libraries will display banned and challenged books, put out posters and information kits, and promote the freedom to read.
The idea is to show people how attitudes change over the years and allow readers to come to their own conclusions about objectionable material, according to Lorraine Oback, spokeswoman for the San Jose Public Libraries. The purpose is to create a general awareness about kinds of books that have been objected to in the past, Oback said.
At the Campbell Library, adult services librarian Ruth Briesemeister will create a display where books will hang from the ceiling, with fake flames below, as if they were going to be burned. The library will also have controversial books readily available for checkout.
Terri Lehan, a community librarian at the Campbell Library, which is part of the Santa Clara County Library system, says combating censorship is a top priority.
"The library is for everyone," Lehan said. "We try to represent as many points of view as we can. It's a marketplace of ideas."
The West Valley branch already has controversial books on display, highlighting books that have been removed from library shelves.
The purpose is to evoke interest in the contested works and to encourage people to fight censorship, according to Brian Suwada, the West Valley branch young-adult librarian.
"I want people to be aware that personal liberties can be taken away if they're not vigilant," Suwada said.
One popular banned book is Judy Blume's Forever, which is controversial for discussing sexuality in a normal, nonjudgmental way.
"Thirty years after its publication, it's still being banned," Suwada said, even though it's less explicit than many contemporary books. Suwada said the book was groundbreaking, and teenagers today still find it useful.
Writing about sexuality has landed many authors on the hotseat. It's Perfectly Normal, an illustrated sex-education book by Robie Harris for children 10 and up, is on the top of the banned list for 2005.
"That's just a great resource for young people to learn about sexuality," said Monica Holmes, co-owner of Hicklebee's, a children bookstore on Lincoln Avenue. "It's something we recommend all the time."
At the Calabazas branch library, banned books will be on display, accompanied by the long list of controversial titles. "The lists are too large to display every book included," said Calabazas library staff member Carlos Morales.
The Willow Glen library branch is closed for construction, but Hicklebee's and Willow Glen Books will take on the challenge of highlighting books for the event.
Holmes said she will display It's Perfectly Normal and other challenged children's books in the window. Other titles will include Harry Potter books, Newberry Medal winner The Giver, by Lois Lowry and The Bridge to Teribithia, by Katherine Patterson.
Holmes hopes to draw attention to the absurdity of banning books. Many people don't realize the books they know and love are being challenged in schools and libraries. Some groups and individuals are attempting to censor ideas they disagree with, she said, but it doesn't work.
"It usually just brings attention to the books," she noted.
According to the American Library Association website, there are more than 400 formal challenges to books in schools, libraries, universities and other institutions each year. The most objectionable books were accused of being sexually explicit, containing offensive language, being unsuitable for an age group, having an occult theme or promoting the occult or Satanism.
A challenge is an attempt to have a book removed from a library, school or institution, and is usually spearheaded by parents, library patrons, school administrators, library and school board members, religious groups, the government, elected officials, pressure groups or teachers.
In 2005, books with a variety of subjects were challenged, including The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for concerns about sexual content and offensive language. J.D. Salinger's 1951 classic The Catcher in the Rye has been contested for years, including this year, for its controversial language and content.
Other frequently challenged authors include Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, California writer John Steinbeck and Mark Twain. Even the Bible is challenged.
People are often surprised to hear that people ask that the Bible be removed from shelves, Oliver said, which attests to the scope of the books being challenged.
"If we had libraries that only had information we all agree on, they'd be very small," Oliver said.
For more information about banned books week, visit the American Library Association website, www.ala.org/ala/ oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooks
week.htm.
