“I don’t know if I had a favorite book on the list, but I thought that it was funny that some of the most popular books, like Harry Potter, made it on the list. There are other books on there like “The Anarchist’s Cookbook” that I never would have read if it hadn’t been challenged,” she said.
She found a bomb-making guide “pretty disturbing” but added, “I wouldn’t want my kids to know how to make bombs, but at the same time you can’t censor materials and tell other people what they can or cannot read because I may not agree with what may be important to somebody else.”
Librarians, publishers and readers across the country last week celebrated “Banned Book Week” to draw attention to attempts to remove books and material from library shelves and school curricula.
The American Library Association says 513 challenges were reported in 2008, but Dayton Metro Libraries Director Tim Kambitsch said he suspects the number is much higher because many challenges go unreported.
Kambitsch said his staff receives about eight or nine challenges each year, mostly protests over video material. Each challenge is reviewed by the library staff, and Kambitsch makes a decision that can be appealed to the library board. He once removed a racy “director’s cut” version of a foreign film and replaced it with the U.S. theatrical release.
“In my 10 years as library director, we’ve never completely removed anything from our collection,” he said.
Books are often challenged because of sexual themes, vulgar language, homosexual content or religious or political views. Most of the time the material is not actually banned and remains widely available.
At the East Branch library on Wyoming Street, the staff goes all out to draw attention to banned books. Beginning four years ago, they started erecting a “jail” in which patrons and staff can read banned books aloud during Banned Books Week.
“The cage is our way of visually sending the message that we support the freedom to read,” children’s librarian Sam Lumetta said.
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