Library in Hartland to Support Free Expression With Read-Out

It’s rare to find something that the book series hero Captain Underpants has in common with classic author John Steinbeck, but glance at any banned book list and the two names will pop up almost side by side of each other. Along with other famous names such as Harry Potter or Huckleberry Finn or notable children’s author’s like Maurice Sendak or Eric Carle.

“There are lots of children’s books on here,” marketing director of Cromaine Library Carol Taggart said. “Some of people’s most loved books are on these lists. Or things that you know your kids are reading, it might make you go take a second look and make you aware and let you see what other people are challenging.”

In recognition of Banned Books Week, which began more than 30 years ago and takes place in September, in Hartland will host its second annual Banned Book Read-Out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the lobby of the main branch in the village area.

Libraries take the lead

Coordinating, organizing and hosting this event is the responsibility of the library, according to Cromaine Director Ceci Marlow, who says libraries have a long history of helping to raise awareness on societal issues in their communities.

“Part of being human is knowing that you have to think about your next choice and one of the best ways to help folks learn to think critically is to expose ourselves to other opinions,” she said. “Public libraries have been a place where that has happened for a very long time. … And it’s important for us to represent the whole community and not a particular thought or belief system or preferences.”

Thirty years ago, a coalition was formed that also began keeping a record of banned books and created a list that originally included 404 titles. Today that list has grown to more than 4,000 books and is updated each year. Every third year, an updated edition of Banned Books is published in book form, which includes the year of the challenge or ban, the location and a short description of the reasons why.

“That’s always interesting,” Taggart says of watching people look at the banned book list. “The things that you recognize, that you see on there. You’re like, really? I didn’t know and am really surprised that someone would say something was wrong with it, in their point of view.”

Marlow says that there are many more books that are challenged rather than actually banned, which in some cases is simply because of when the book was written, as in the case of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
 
“They represent a viewpoint or they use language that is very fitting for the time, but today we would never say that, it would be offensive and we would never use that language,” Marlow said. “So should we eradicate that book from our collection because it has language that we don’t like today?”

Books that challenge us to think and also open up avenues for discussion are what is necessary for our society to grow, according the Marlow.

“The moment you start shutting down avenues of expression,” Marlow said. “Then we’re really not American any more.”

Most recently challenged

In 2010, the most challenged book was And Tango Makes Three, a story of two male penguins who are given an egg to raise. Due to its implication of homosexuality, the book has been challenged in reading establishments across the country. Hartland resident and mother of two, Karen Wisinski says that she used And Tango Makes Three as a way to help teach her young children about families and acceptance.

“We believe in teaching acceptance of others starting when our children are young,” Wisinski wrote in an email to Hartland Patch. “We have used picture books to get the conversation started. … The best part is all these books are available at Cromaine Library.”

And Tango Makes Three is scheduled to be read at this years Banned Book Read-Out along with other titles that include The Hunger Games, Andersonville, Atlas Shrugged, To Kill a Mockingbird and more.

“I really like seeing what people pick ‘cause its what means something to them and that always makes a more interesting reader,” Taggart said of the selection for Saturday. “You’re invested in that story because it has a connection to you in some way.”

Taggart says that last year’s event was a success and is hoping for an even bigger turn-out this year and encourages people to come in and out of the readings at their own leisure.

“We hope its bigger crowd this year,” Taggart said. “It’s just to make people aware that there are people who are trying to say what you should be able to look at. It’s absolutely a basic right to be able to read what you want.”