Chapel hill celebrates banned books week

Area librarians say all books are welcome in Chapel Hill - even the controversial ones.

This week is the 24th annual Banned Books Week in Chapel Hill and nationwide.

Sept. 25 through Oct. 1 is set aside to celebrate the freedom to read all types of books, including those with controversial topics or content.

Mayor Kevin Foy said he wants the entire town to recognize the importance of the week. To meet that goal, Foy issued a proclamation stating that "everyone should go read an unorthodox book" at the Chapel Hill Town Council meeting Monday.

His proclamation officially will recognize the week every year.

"(We want) to make sure people are aware that there are places in America where books are banned - but not in Chapel Hill," he said. "When the government starts banning books, it intrudes on our rights."

The week is dedicated to promoting the power of literature and raising awareness of the dangers that exist when information is limited in a free society.

The American Library Association founded and co-sponsors the event with many other nationwide library institutions.

The Chapel Hill Public Library has acknowledged the celebration since its start in 1982.

The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library's book club, "Books Sandwiched In," meets on a monthly basis to discuss noteworthy works of literature. Every September, the club reads a book that has been banned or challenged.

Members of the club appreciated the banned books so much that they encouraged the library's Board of Trustees and town council to officially set aside the week for the event, said library director Kathleen Thompson.

"Libraries should be warehouses of information where people can come and get varying viewpoints on subjects," Thompson said.

"It doesn't mean that the libraries have to agree with them, but we need to provide access to them."

Association members say parents are the most frequent challengers of books, objecting to the content their children read.

Chapel Hill High School's media center started recognizing Banned Books Week within the past six years. Last year, students set up a display to acknowledge the event, and this year, the media center has set aside a group of books that are commonly challenged.

"We are able to read all kinds of books," said Mary Gray Leonard, the director of the school's media center. "It's a freedom we often take for granted."

The association's Office for Intellectual Freedom found that nearly one third of the most highly contested books were cited for homosexual themes, a record high for the past decade.

The association also noted that sexual content and explicit language remain the most common reasons for removing books from schools and public libraries.

Topping the list for the most challenged books of 2004 was Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" for its sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint and violence.

Among the most challenged authors from 1990 to 2004 were popular novelists J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and Judy Blume.

"It is a precious democratic freedom to have access to different points of view," Thompson said. "We don't have to agree with them, but we must defend the right to have varying viewpoints."

Additional information about Banned Books Week can be found on the association's Web site, www.ala.org.

 

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