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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Some thoughts for Banned Book Week by Susan


Most folks who are concerned about removing books, DVD's and CD's from library shelves are well intentioned.  They truly feel that the content-- the words, ideas, pictures, or sounds--are detrimental to someone.  They don't want a child or a teen or someone they care about to run into something that might cause embarrassment, confusion, shock, or offence.

A public library in the US is one of the most subversive places anywhere. Libraries are intended to be bastions of democracy.  They are intended to be a place for self-education, self-enrichment and THE place where ALL ideas can be reviewed without judgment. Any good public library should have something to offend everyone!

We all have the ability to choose whether to read, view or listen to something or not.  Even young children understand when a parent says, "This is not for us.  Let's keep looking for another book."  We all have the right to decide what we wish to share with our children and what we want to explore ourselves.  We DO NOT have the right to decide for the ENTIRE community.  Celebrate BANNED BOOKS!

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