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Midtown — People may not think their local librarians are defending civil liberties and democracy, but in reality, “So are we,” says Wendy Kirchner.

With fellow librarian Jessica Bauduin in the children’s section of the Middletown Public Library, sitting next to a display they’ve designed together, “Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes: Banned Reading a sign reading “Please read the books,” Kirchner explained the importance of the annual banned book. A week.

“Book Ban Week started in 1982, defending the right to read whatever you want. This has been for 30 years,” she said. “This is nothing new this year because of the political climate. This has been going on for a long time.”

Banned Book Week is sponsored by a coalition of national organizations such as the American Library Association, Amnesty International USA, the National Council of English Teachers, and the People for the American Way Foundation.

But it’s public librarians like Kirchner and Bowdoin who get the message across to the local community. This year’s theme is “Books connect us. Censorship divides us.”

Kirchner and Beaudoin actively follow national news and conversations about censorship and book bans. Kirchner has worked as a school librarian in Providence for 18 years. Raised in Utah, Beaudoin is currently pursuing a master’s degree in library science from the University of Alabama.

Neither of them have experienced a contested book in Middletown, but they still think it’s important to be aware of the dangers of censorship.

“The goal of the Middletown Public Library is to build community. Efforts to ban books can actually lead to polarization,” Kirchner said.

Reflecting on ongoing research, Bauduin said: One of the conclusions I have come to is that democracy rests on individual choice. In our country, people believe that they have the right to choose many things, and books are one of them. Removing or banning books robs people of choice and undermines democracy. ”

What kind of books are being challenged in 2022?

Kirchner noted that LGBTQ themes in children’s, young adult and adult literature have become a focus for individuals and organizations challenging books in schools and public libraries across the country.

Citing statistics kept by Penn America, a nonprofit founded after World War I by writers such as Willa Cather and Robert Frost to defend freedom of expression, she: explained as follows. Pull: Her 41% of banned books in 2022 feature minority protagonists. 31% had an LGBTQ character in her. So what does it say to you? So there is an agenda to polarize, divide and exclude. ”

Several Daily News investigations support Kirchner’s claim that access to books on LGBTQ experiences is more at risk than before. The American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom compiles lists of problematic books that have been reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers nationwide.

Of the 10 most challenging books for 2021, 5 were specifically challenged with ‘LGBTQIA+ content’.

Kirchner mentioned another societal issue that has gained attention and controversy in recent years. “Some of the banned books talk about important racial theories, like this ‘New Kid’.”

She picked up a picture book from the display. “It’s talking about microaggressions against minorities. He’s a gifted kid who goes to a private, mostly white school, and the path he takes is kind of a big political topic,” she said.

“It’s basically about people being afraid of what they don’t understand. We librarians want to create opportunities for empathy and understanding through books. Basically walking in someone else’s shoes.” “You may not like them, but do you know why? Maybe we can be a little more empathetic, maybe if we all understand a little more, all communities will be better off.”

banned classics

Of course, book bans are not a modern phenomenon. People have tried to ban certain books and ideas throughout American history: Springfield, Massachusetts founder William Pynchon’s critique of Puritanical Calvinism, “A Worthy Price for Our Redemption” , was condemned and burned as soon as it reached Boston in 1650. It was the first banned book in colonial America.

Beaudoin and Kirchner were preparing a series of more modern examples of banned books, each for its own reasons.

“Part of our job is to educate other people about banned books,” Kirchner said. He criminalized forestry. EB White’s Charlotte’s Web—who hasn’t read it? Banned because it had talking animals and was disrespectful to God. ”

Widely acknowledged to include now-iconic children’s series such as “Harry Potter” and Christian allegories, as she listed many books banned for their references to magic and witchcraft. Including even “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, which is described in I summed it up ironically,

“All popular fantasy series are also banned,” she said.

As she spoke, a mother with two young children walked into the library. Her daughter excitedly pointed to her one of the picture books on the banned books display. Perhaps Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s “And the Tango Will Be Her Three” or Miriam B. Schiffer’s “Stella Brings Her Family”.

“Look mom! We read the book!” said the girl.

Kirchner smiled, telling himself, “And somewhere it’s forbidden.”