Often it just takes one parent announcing a book doesn’t meet the “moral standards” of their ultra-conservative political action group.
“Today, books are under profound attack in the U.S.,” says PEN America. “They are disappearing from library shelves, being challenged in droves, and being decreed off limits by school boards, legislators, and prison authorities. And everywhere, it is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history.”
How does this happen?
When a parent, group of parents, or local politicians decide to make an issue of a particular book, they pack the school board meeting and demand that that title be removed from the shelves. Often there’s a decision to remove the book pending further study. The ensuing skirmishes and kerfuffles can last months. Eventually the book may be returned to the school library shelves, but by this time teachers and librarians know they will still be harassed in person and on social media if they continue to include it in the curriculum or recommend it to students, a phenomena known as “soft banning.”
The good news?
California passed a law in 2023 prohibiting the banning of books, particularly those with inclusive/diverse content. Parents who support intellectual freedom can show up at school board meetings to challenge the challengers, push back on efforts to create controversy, and nip these soft bans in the bud.
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