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Welcome to Banned Books Week 2022. Every year for the past forty years, the book community has joined together to celebrate the freedom to read. We focus on free and open access to information and promote and support those books that have been challenged or banned, even those that we personally don't like or agree with. We've seen an unprecedented amount of challenges in 2022, many of them challenging multiple books instead of just one title. If you are a teacher or librarian and know of a book that has been challenged or banned in your area, you can report it to the Mississippi Challenged Book Index here and the American Library Association here.
We're sharing a staff member's views on a banned book every day this week and urge you to check them out, to read them, and to stand up against book challenges and bans in your local communities, schools, and libraries.
Our Lead Library Consultant Lacy Ellinwood chose the series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The first book in the series was published in 1981 and is beloved by children for its collection of spooky tales based on folklore from around the globe. All three books have been challenged and banned for violence, occultism, religious viewpoint, being unsuitable for age group, insensitivity, and being too scary. Lacy says,
"The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series from Alvin Schwartz, and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell, were never booktalked by my elementary school librarian. They were pandered by the hushed word of mouth from one student to the next. To this day, 30 years later, I have never put a hold on a book more often than those three titles. Each book speaks to what lurks in the dark and how the seemingly mundane can be oh so terrifying."Censorship divides us. Books unite us. Celebrate the freedom to read.
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