Book censorship and the importance of autonomy in reading choices

As a child, choosing books from the library was one of my favorite activities. I traveled to the library with my mom every two weeks, and the only restriction placed on me was that I could only check out as many books as I could carry on the walk to and from the library. I was allowed complete autonomy in making book choices–even as a young child whose reading abilities greatly surpassed my chronological age.

April is designated as National School Library Month by the American Association of School Librarians. This year’s theme is “It’s all about the fun of learning.” Unfortunately, I fear that the fun of a trip to the library is being sacrificed by the movement to control what is available in both the library and the classroom. Book censorship is on the rise in Warren County and in our country. The American Library Association states that in 2022, 1,651 unique book titles were targeted for banning or restriction in libraries. This type of restriction removes choice from our school libraries and ultimately makes learning less fun. A study by St. Catherine University showed that when students were allowed to choose their reading material, their ability to comprehend what they had read increased. Of course, there are some things that students must read because it is part of the curriculum, but encouraging students to read for pleasure and giving them autonomy in making those choices can only serve to make learning more enjoyable.

Another sobering fact is that many of the books being banned feature characters or themes that reflect the diversity of our school populations. According to PEN America, of the 1,648 books banned in 2021-2022, forty-one percent featured LGBTQ+ themes or characters; forty percent feature a main or secondary character who is a person of color; and twenty-one percent addressed issues of race or racism. If our students can’t see diversity reflected in literature, how can we expect them to be accepting of one another on a daily basis? If we teach them that these are reasons to ban books, we are teaching shame, prejudice, and hatred. Instead, we should be teaching empathy, inclusion, and understanding. We should teach our students that everyone belongs in the classroom.

If we want to put the fun back into learning, we should encourage students to read for both information and entertainment. Students should be allowed autonomy in making those choices. If parents object to reading materials in a library, they have the right to place limitations on their own students but not the entire school population. For National School Library Month, let’s let students learn to enjoy reading again by allowing them to explore the reading materials. This will help put the fun back into learning.

Sally Meredith
Front Royal

Sally Meredith is currently a special education teacher, licensed in Virginia since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Old Dominion University and is a candidate for a Master’s Degree in Library Science in 2023.