We Read Banned Books: Amy LaFleur

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 Reference Librarian Amy LaFleur chose the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was published in 1925 and features the tragic love affair of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire and embodiment of the American Dream, and Daisy Buchanan, a shallow socialite. It has been challenged and banned for strong language and sexual content that could be deemed controversial. Amy says,

"I love The Great Gatsby. I remember reading it for the first time in high school and being captivated by the mystery of Jay Gatsby. Upon a second reading as an adult, I appreciated both how beautifully written it is and the fact that it grapples with big questions despite being a rather short, fast-paced novel."

Censorship divides us. Books unite us. Celebrate the freedom to read.

Sources:

https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/

https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/09/ala-releases-preliminary-data-2022-book-bans 

https://www.mlc.lib.ms.us/ms-libraries/mcbi/
https://www.britannica.com/summary/The-Great-Gatsby

https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/great-gatsby/