Faculty of the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of Maine held the third annual presentation and discussion “Banned Books: Conversations at Fogler” on Sept. 25. as part of National Banned Books week. The goal of the conversation was to educate participants on the difference between challenged and banned books, explaining the various reasons books are restricted in certain environments, using visual data and then allowing for open discussion to take place on the ethics of restricting literature.
The first part of discussion revolved around the main difference between book challenging and book banning. Book challenging is defined as attempting to restrict specific kinds of books based on certain age groups, while book banning is the outright removal of these books. The discussion also aimed to educate participants on book censorship and its relevance in today’s social climate.
Through analysis of data, it was reported by the American Library Association, which has been recording book challenges and bans since 2001, that a significant increase in book challenges have occurred over the last four years. In 2020, around 223 books were challenged, and in 2021 the number rose significantly to over 1,800. The number of challenged books has risen to an all time high in 2023, with over 4,200 books being challenged.
In 2023, the list of the top 10 most challenged books included the likes of “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, “All Boy’s Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. One of the most common reasons cited for these books being widely challenged and banned was due to their sexually explicit content, as well as containing LGBTQ+ subject matter.
The presentation also focused on more local school districts in Maine that were facing issues regarding book bans and challenges. In 2023, the Hermon school district announced that over 80 books were to be restricted, and required that students request permission from their parents in order to obtain these titles. According to Bangor Daily News, over 80% of parents gave permission to their children to access these restricted books, and in a follow up survey surrounding this content based policy, around 40% of parents disapproved that the material in question was being restricted.
Head of the Research and Instruction Department at Fogler Library Nancy Lewis opened the floor for participants to discuss the potential reasons for the massive uptick in challenged and banned books in the past few years. Many of the conversation pieces included a shifted awareness in a post-pandemic political climate, as well as the beliefs of some public or school libraries that clash with the given source material. Lewis believes that discussion of book challenges and bans is important, and that the access of information is necessary for libraries to uphold.
“It’s what libraries do and what libraries are for; access to information. We want all points of view represented, and access to all points of view,” said Lewis.
The uptick in book challenges and bans remains a contentious topic across both public and school libraries as seen across the US. The annual banned books conversation at the Fogler Library continues to educate participants about this topic in order to facilitate an environment for healthy discussion.