“Fahrenheit 451.” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” “The Hunger Games.” “To Kill a Mockingbird.” These classics have one thing in common: they are all on banned book lists across the country.
According to the American Library Association (ALA), 4,240 book titles were challenged to be removed from schools and libraries in 2023. This is a 65% increase in censorship from 2022 to 2023.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said on their website, “Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”
Banned books have been a problem in our country for decades. From book burnings in the 1930s to present day censorship laws, book banning has remained a prevalent issue.
As political trends make their way into our schools and libraries, more educators are highlighting the sheer importance of keeping books on shelves. This message is encouraged by the ALA’s Banned Books Week theme of the year, “Freed Between the Lines.”
“You are able to find a lot of freedom when you read books,” UM Peer Research and Learning Coordinator, Nyabi Benjamin said. “Especially books that are meant or thought of as controversial; those are usually the books that you find the most sort of perspective from.”
With more books being banned every year, more libraries across the country are showing support for keeping these books on shelves. However, with more state administrations instating censorship laws, it is getting increasingly difficult for public schools to support the cause.
Even community colleges like Miami-Dade College are facing issues with getting access to books requested by students and professors. Because UM is a privately funded school, the Richter library can celebrate Banned Books Week and listen to the University community.
“You see that we have a lot of immigrants, we have a lot of queer people that we are, you know, voicing and helping to support,” Benjamin said.
Front and center at Richter Library, you will find a display of banned books that are available to check out, unlike many Florida colleges. There are also pamphlets and a PowerPoint that shows more information about censorship.
Banned Books Week is celebrated from Sept. 22 through Sept. 28, but the displayed books are available to check out year-round. Benjamin stressed the importance of raising awareness for censorship.
“There’s a lot of people who genuinely don’t know that there are still book banning’s happening,” Benjamin said. “Censorship issues are definitely increasing unfortunately, so it’s something to just remain aware of.”
Visit the Richter Library to show your support for Banned Books Week and see their website for more information.