Let Books Be!

Banned Books Week began in the early 1980s as a response to a sudden surge in book challenges in an effort to push back against the harm that censorship can cause. Libraries and librarians are at the forefront of providing free and open access to information and books. The freedom to read the books that we want, in order to find the information we need, to feel seen within the pages of a story, or to take a journey through the life of another should be protected. Let Books Be is this year’s theme, and this means to just read the books you want to read, and allow others to read the books they want. Books give us a window into the lives of others so we can know more about their experiences and learn compassion and empathy. They allow those who feel different to see themselves as the main character. They expand our world by showing us different cultures and customs, and can show us possibilities that we weren’t even aware of, both good and bad. Knowing about a world outside of your own can help you navigate our shared world full of multiple perspectives and ideas, and it can also help us feel confident about who we are! Choose the books you want to read with your children, and have the conversations with them, but don’t let others decide what you or your children are allowed to read! Reading should make you think and grow. So let us all just Let Books Be!