Banned Books Week once again approaches, scheduled this year for September 23-29. Have you put some thought into how you want the library to advertise and promote it? Often eagerly anticipated by school and public library staff as a chance to strike a blow for intellectual freedom and celebrate good books in the face of censorship, Banned Books Week can nevertheless pose unexpected challenges and even create confusion in the name of encouraging reading. Unsuspecting and well-meaning library patrons can miss the subtle distinctions within the process of a book challenge that are often inherent knowledge to library workers, and misunderstand what is being celebrated. It’s also possible to get lost in the catchy, buzzworthy branding of the event and accidentally misrepresent what the library actually does.
Eric Litwin is coming!
Barbara Freeman is a local author whose book has been favorably reviewed by two of our OPS Llibrarians.I It is recommended for intermediate grades and could also be used as a primary read aloud.