On Jan. 24, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights revoked all guidance that characterized book bans as violations of civil rights laws. As school book bans — or restrictions on content available to students — have become more commonplace, The Herald spoke with several University staff and faculty members about the impacts these bans have on students’ access to diverse literature around the country.
Book bans are typically framed as protections for children against “overtly sexual or explicit content,” said Heather Cole, head of special collections instruction and the curator of literary and popular collections the John Hay Library. But Cole argued these bans often restrict students’ ability to learn from a diverse range of works.
“It’s about controlling the narrative that children or readers have access to,” she added.
In the first eight months of 2024, the American Library Association reported 414 attempts at censorship of “library materials and services” across the country, with 1,128 titles targeted for removal.
In 2023, almost half of the 4,240 titles targeted were books “representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals,” according to the American Library Association website.
Cole emphasized the importance of literature in representing different identities, noting that “reading helps us build empathy.”
“It helps us put ourselves in the shoes of those who are different from us,” Cole said, adding that these books also help young readers resonate with lived and fictional experiences similar to their own.
“I see book banning as counterproductive,” said James Egan, a professor of English. “It only makes people less knowledgeable and educated and thoughtful.”
Egan said he includes books from challenged book lists, such as Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Octavia Butler’s “Kindred,” in his curriculum. These novels “are designed to get people to see the world through different perspectives,” he added.
As a member of the American Library Association, Cole explained that banning books can also put librarians at risk, as they can face “prosecution or criminalization (for) making materials available.”
In recent years, several states have passed legislation that allows for the prosecution of librarians and educators who provide “obscene” or “sexually explicit” content to students.
“Librarians across the country are under-resourced and understaffed,” Cole said. “Everyone’s just hanging on right now and doing what we can.”
The Jan. 24 press release by the civil rights office dismissed 11 complaints regarding local district removal of books in schools.
The dismissal aims to return to “local control over public education,” wrote Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, in the press release. Addressing book challenges, Trainor argued, is not a federal government role and instead falls on “parents and school boards” to “assess the educational needs of their children and communities.”
In response to the dismissal, the American Library Association released a statement reaffirming the association’s position against book bans.
“We won’t stop offering access to the world of ideas, and we won’t back down from defending everyone’s Constitutional right to access and read any idea free from government censorship,” the statement wrote.
The Hay has collected several first editions of banned books, including the original manuscript of George Orwell’s “1984.” These books are available to any students via appointment, Cole said.
“We are committed to the core value of supporting Brown’s mission to serve the community, the nation and the world by discovering, communicating and preserving knowledge,” wrote Jennifer Smith Braga, director of library communications and public programs, in an email to The Herald.
“The more we can do to advocate for communities that need access and the books themselves, hopefully that will have an effect,” Cole said.
