By Kiara Cain
“The Great Gatsby,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Color Purple,” and “The Hate You Give” are all victims of book banning in many areas across the United States. With censorship on a rise, Shreve librarians Dani Long and Maureen Barclay have come together to create the Right To Read program.
The program was created this year to focus on preventing censorship in Shreve’s library while teaching students that the right to read is a civil right protected under the 1st and 14th Amendments.
Banning books has been an issue seen throughout history, most notoriously during World War II. Books are often removed from shelves as a way to prohibit the public from gaining knowledge on different topics and cultures. Books that are affected the most are those that are written for or about minority groups such as people of color and LGBTQ+ members.
Barclay and Long aim to spread awareness about how the censoring of books is harmful to society, especially the youth. The program will have many opportunities to prevent this by hosting events for those in the community.
For example, reading tickets will be introduced where classrooms will be checked for certain books and students will be given a right to read notice if they have that book..
The library will also host book talks on October 3rd and October 5th, allowing students and adults to discuss the books they are currently reading. With this, adults will be able to get a better understanding of the interests of younger generations. It will also help them realize that although they may not like a certain book or genre, someone else does.
“While some books may not be chosen by individual people to read or enjoy, it is important that we protect intellectual freedom,” Barclay said.
When someone is discussing the topic of banning a book, students must stop and think about how these actions will affect them. Most students do not see it as a big deal. However, books are the windows into other people’s worlds. They allow for people on the outside to gain insight on what other groups experience.
Some may think this is a far reach, but this epidemic is already happening in the Shreveport/Bossier community. At Southwood High School, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was banned due to profanity and racial content, despite it being historically accurate for its time period.
“The ‘majority’ group does not care for the true telling of a conflict or tragedy,” Long said.
Classic books that tell stories of historical events are being taken away from the youth. This can hinder children and teens from learning about the past, which ultimately, damages their future.
In the library, Long and Barclay practice diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Students are not forced to read books they are not interested in or do not support. Therefore, it is up to each student to decide if they want to interact with certain content.
Before books are pulled from shelves there are three questions that must be asked. “Why is this book being banned? Whose voice will be silenced? Where will it end?”
Shreve’s librarians are hard at work trying to protect the interests of all students and beliefs. Standing up against censorship raises awareness on the issue and teaches students to stand up for their right to read.