Salem 'Banned Book' Library To Open At City Hall

SALEM, MA — At a time when some school districts and libraries are challenging and banning select books across the state and the country, Salem is opening a library at City Hall to celebrate them.

The city is marking National Banned Book Week with the library in partnership with the Little Free Library. Advice on banned book selection was provided by the staff of the Salem Public Library. The library is curated by the staff of the Mayor's Office.

"Salem stands firm in our commitment to intellectual freedom and the right to read," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "To celebrate that commitment, we're proud to host this new Little Free Library featuring banned books, and we invite all to explore the works that they find there."

Salem Artist in Residence Claudia Paraschiv contributed to the design and decoration of the pop-up library that will be unveiled on Monday at 8:30 a.m. in front of City Hall at 93 Washington Street.

The city invites the public to explore the library's collection, take a book, or contribute a favorite banned or challenged book.

"As a community, Salem supports the right of all people to freely access ideas, stories, arguments, and information, even those that might be perceived as unpopular or conventional," the city said in announcing the library. "The goal of the library is to underscore the importance of ensuring open access to a wide range of viewpoints for readers."

In 2022, according to the city, 2,570 unique titles were targeted for challenges, although the American Library Association suggests that up to 97 percent of challenges go unreported.

According to Pen America's Banned Book Index, 41 percent of banned books feature LGBTQ+ themes, 40 percent include protagonists or secondary characters of color, and 21 percent address issues related to race or racism.

In 2022, there were 45 attempts to restrict access to books in Massachusetts, with 57 different titles challenged in these attempts.

For a list of books challenged in Massachusetts libraries in 2022, click here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)