Thou Shalt Not Read Banned Books

The theme for this year’s banned books week was the Lord of the Rings series, and some well-loved classics could be seen locked in cages and taped off to “prevent” easy access.
Photo by Christian Pridemore

One of the greatest aspects of America’s governing principles is the right to freedom of speech. It is the first amendment in our Bill of Rights, and can always be found in this newspaper to serve as a reminder that everyone has the freedom to express what they think and feel without fear of persecution. This freedom is often challenged, however, and more often than not, it’s challenged by the very people to whom it is given. This is why it is important to remember that in some areas of the country, there have been restrictions on what the public is allowed to read, and Banned Books Week at the J. Frank Marsh Library here at Concord University gives recognition to those books which have been pulled from the shelves for a myriad of reasons.

    “You have books all the time that are questioned or deemed inappropriate by somebody,” says Doug Moore, Information Systems Specialist at the Marsh Library. The reasons behind a book’s banishment seem to be endless; whether the book has homosexual themes, liberal agendas, religious viewpoints, or is just deemed unsuitable for a specific age group, any reason a book might be controversial can be enough to pull it from shelves. To a college student who has grown up reading books, some of the common titles we’ve come to love are frequently banned.

    Who bans books? To no surprise, the most common demographic which challenges books are outraged or upset parents at a whopping 40% of all people who do challenge books. Other such organizations which might ban books are library patrons, administrators, and even the librarians themselves (although Moore personally has never known a librarian to pull a book from the shelves). It’s also no surprise that the most common place where books are banned are public libraries, and for what might be considered a valid reason. Moore brings up the book The Anarchist’s Cookbook by William Powell as an example; in his book, Powell gives instructions for how to construct explosives and cause other kinds of acts of arson. Obviously, people would want this book banned for teaching its audience to do such a thing, but it is on this point that Moore states that it is the job of others to make sure that this isn’t a problem. In this example, it might be the job of a parent or guardian to make sure this book’s information is not mistreated, or it might be the job of the individual to make sure that they do not misuse their newfound bomb crafting capabilities, but in either case the book doesn’t deserve to be pulled from shelves.

    So what kinds of books are banned? Frequently challenged books include, but are certainly not limited to, Diary of a Girl by Anne Frank, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, common authors like Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, and even The Bible. There is no limit to the kinds of books that are removed from the public at times, but this is why it is important to understand the significance of the banning of books. It’s a violation of an author’s right to freedom of speech when their book is pulled for having content that might be deemed by others as too explicit for audiences.

    Banned Books Week takes place every year near the end of September, and for more information about Banned Books Week and to see if some of your favorite titles have made the list, go to ala.org/bbooks.