According to PEN America, the nonprofit free-speech advocacy group, 156 bills proposing what it calls “educational gag orders” have been introduced in 39 states since January 2021 — and 12 of them, in 10 states, have already become law.
The teen section at the Ruth Vine Tyler Library in Midvale, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Graphic novels are among the most scrutinized books to be pulled from shelves, according to librarians Kathryn Kidd and Wanda Mae Huffaker.This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.
Banning books, she said, “goes against my very core” — and in her nearly 30 years as a librarian, censorship is a topic that’s always been around, but has become more intense in the last few years. Meanwhile, the incidents of school boards taking action against books that are deemed “controversial” are mounting:Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about his father’s ordeal surviving the Holocaust, in which Jews are depicted as mice and Nazis as cats. Board members said they objected to swear words in the text, nude imagery of a woman — which was used in depicting Spiegelman’s mother’s suicide.
Kidd is a newer librarian, compared to Huffaker. She’s been working as a teen services librarian for 3-½ years, and said she hasn’t dealt with a lot of censorship issues herself, but there are a fair amount of challenges. If the conversation doesn’t assuage any worries, the patron is invited to fill out a reconsideration form online, which then goes to a committee of librarians from the county, who talk about the book and determine how to move forward. In some cases, that means moving a book from the teen section to the adult section — but, in general, it takes a lot of convincing to get a book banned outright.
Lately, Huffaker said, there’s been an increase in censorship efforts aimed at graphic novels — “Maus” is a prime example — and that over the years, themes of racial diversity, LGBTQ+ representation and coming-of-age consistently have been challenged. Huffaker added that the process, “from the moment someone comes into our library and sits down and talks with a staff member, should all be done out of respect and consideration for their opinions and how they feel, how we interact. The whole process should not be antagonistic.”
Wegner, who is moving to the Salt Lake City library system, said Summit County does not receive a lot of book challenges. She has noticed, however, that social media has given rise to controversies around banning and even burning books. For some teens, Wegner said, certain books help them feel seen and heard in ways that the people near them can’t. “As librarians, we see the difference books can make to teens,” she said. “It’s scary to see that attacked.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bill banning ‘pornographic or indecent’ books at Utah schools passes committeeMost of those considered offensive focus on race and the LGBTQ community, and those opposed to the bill removing the books say the effort feels targeted to silence minority voices.
Read more »
College baseball wrapup: Aztecs' late rally against Utah makes for winning weekendSan Diego State first baseman Brian Leonhardt's two-run single provides walkoff win Sunday against Utes
Read more »
New liquor store is ready to handle online sales — if the Utah Legislature OKs fundsThe ribbon is cut on the new West Valley City location, which is built to handle a pilot program for online liquor sales.
Read more »