Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) has been committed to supporting the freedom to read for more than 75 years. In addition to its educational sessions and conversations with readers, the library has also recently established a Collection Development Policy to increase the accessibility of “banned” materials.
In recent years, censoring material—especially for kids—has garnered differing opinions. Some parents and community members have advocated for the removal of some books they deem inappropriate for their kids while others have been staunch supporters of a more individual mentality in which access is not denied but parents decide what their child can read on a case-by-case basis.
But statewide, Maryland leadership has taken a stance on access with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signing the Freedom to Read Act into law in April.
The law supports the right to access books and educational materials in public schools and libraries, meaning books can’t be removed because of religious, ideological or partisan objections and staff cannot be subject to retaliation for upholding the law.
Libraries have been among institution challenged for decades for what materials they provide—contributing to the launch of Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28) in 1982.
During Banned Books Week in 2024, we look at the steps taken by local libraries such as BCPL to address banned books. With an intention of empowering and engaging individuals for a more inclusive and connected Baltimore County, BCPL established a Collection Development Policy to determine what books make the cut.
Baltimore’s Child spoke with the library’s CEO, Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, about the effects of book banning, efforts to combat it and the library’s Collection Development Policy:
Have you noticed a trend in the kinds/genres of books banned? If so, what is it and why do you think that is?
Last year, 40% of all book challenges happened at public libraries. Nearly half the titles that are being challenged are by—or about—LGBTQ, BIPOC communities and women. There is an overt and covert attempt to silence certain voices belonging to people who don’t align with the status quo. I think that people need to be aware that this is what is happening, and they should fight back. As an institution, BCPL firmly stands on the side of intellectual freedom. We believe that our community is diverse and should have access to diverse voices with different perspectives. BCPL supports the right for people to read and read freely.
What are the dangers of book banning, especially for kids?
The dangers are pretty significant. When kids are reading books, they’re trying to understand the world around them and their place in the world. This is especially true for kids who don’t fit the status quo and are different and unique in their community or school. For such kids, books help provide perspective and also facilitate the development of critical thinking skills. Books challenge kids to think critically about all the ideas and perspectives that they contain and help them become more empathetic. They also help them recognize what it means to be a human being on this planet and have compassion for folks who are similar—or different—from them. Taking away books from children damages their sense of self, and their sense of self as a human being among other human beings on this planet. We encourage kids to have access to all kinds of books, grow up good kids, good human beings.
What efforts has Baltimore County Public Library leadership made to curb the surge of book banning?
We (BCPL) were one of the proponents of The Freedom To Read bill, and that bill became the law that was signed on April 24 this year. This law protects the freedom to read, and also protects librarians. As we’re seeing across the country, librarians are being threatened with the possibility of losing their jobs, getting fined or even going to jail for checking out a book to you that someone else might deem to be inappropriate. We want to make sure that here in Maryland, everyone has the right to read and at Baltimore County Public Library, we are strong proponents of the same.
Can you explain the library’s Collection Development Policy in a simple way? How will it help combat book banning?
At BCPL, we have an established Collection Development Policy which is available on our website. It helps us determine what materials to put in our collection. We strive to have a balanced collection where all perspectives, ideas and points of view are reflected in our collection. There might be books on the shelf that you personally do not agree with, and that’s OK— that’s your right, but they’re other books that other folks may want to have access to. Keeping this in mind, one of the things that we do support is that folks do have the right to challenge books that are in our collection, but while a book is being challenged, it is not removed from our collection till a final decision is made. This is also something that came from our Freedom to Read Act, saying that all libraries need to do that. It protects our community from censorship and ensures that everyone is adhering to professional standards and our Collection Development Policies.
How can book banning be prevented at the classroom level? What measures can parents and educators take?
We’ve got the Freedom to Read Act that says very clearly that books cannot be removed based on partisan, ideological or religious objections. I’m not a school librarian, but I know that in schools they talk very much about parent rights. For example, you’ve got parents who might object to a book being there in the library, and because it’s not appropriate for their kids, they might attempt to remove the book from the school library to ensure that no kid has access to it, and that’s completely inappropriate. It’s OK for parents to make those choices for their kid, but it’s not OK to make those choices for other families. Libraries support parent rights, and if there’s a book in the collection that’s not appropriate for your kid, put it back—and librarians can help parents find something else for the child to read.
How can parents introduce their child to banned books in a way that’s responsible and age-appropriate?
I think starting with the librarians is a really good way to do that. At Baltimore County Public Library, we have displays at most of our locations about banned books. We have reading lists that list books that have been banned but continue to be in our collection. We encourage everybody in our community, including parents, to check out some of those books. Parents should be sitting with their kids and talking to them about what they’re reading, what their values are as family and have conversations with them about it. We encourage people to not only read but also think and engage with the books and what they’re talking about. It’s also OK for people to not agree with the book. That’s the whole point of reading! There’s all sorts of perspectives that we’re going to be exposed to in books, and it’s OK to disagree with them, as not every perspective is going to be OK for every family. And, finally, if you don’t like the book, put it down and we will help you find something that is more appropriate.
What was your first experience with a book ban?
With Harry Potter! Harry Potter is wildly popular— people really, really love Harry Potter, but it has also been on the Banned Books for a really long time as a book that has been heavily challenged for offending certain people.
Some responses have been paraphrased for length and clarity.
