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Greetings,
Before I dive into Banned Books week, I wanted to let y'all know that Libby/Overdrive will require Monterey Library card holders to use their PIN number starting October 7th! If you don't know your PIN/password, follow the instructions on our website to reset.
OK, on to Banned Books, celebrated October 4th - 10th - the theme for this year is "Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read."
Banned Books week is organized by the American Library Association (ALA) and has been celebrated since 1982. This year the top 10 is actually the top 11 as there is a 4-way tie for #8 on the list.
When I bring up Banned Books, I often get asked about providing age-appropriate materials for kids in the library. As a public library, we operate differently than a school library. A school librarian will purchase books for the students based on a number of factors, but overall considering the materials be age-appropriate for the school. If you visit Middlebury college library, you'll notice that a large portion of their collection is focused on their academic topics. For elementary school libraries, the librarians provide a lot of books for various levels of interest - and books that kids can dive into! School age kids often hear what their peers are into, and interest grows rapidly in new titles. For a public library though, our role is to provide access to a wide variety of interests and voices in the community.
As a child, I spent a lot of time in my neighborhood library in Fremont (Fremont Main Library). My mom worked at the library, and I spent a lot of time reading in the stacks; luckily the collection was huge and I had a lot to choose from. Sometimes I looked at drawing books in the kids section by Lee J. Ames or doodles by Ed Emberley...but at other times I read books about military history, automotive repair, or true crime. My teachers thought it was odd when I read Zodiac by Robert Graysmith for a book report...or when I read the book Star Wars: Heir to the Empire in elementary school. Neither title was in my elementary school library. I still enjoy watching true crime, reading history, and sci-fi series. The public library allowed me to explore books at an advanced reading level.
So today, Monterey Public Library provides a wide range of materials for the community. Want political or religious books? Yep, we have them. Want books on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging? Got those too. Want to learn about difficult points of time in history? Sounds good! We also have a wide range of movies and shows in our DVD collection. A Monterey Public Library card is not age restricted. The choice of age-appropriateness is up to the family; this is a conversation for each family to have about what they believe is appropriate for their household.
We hope that during this upcoming Banned Books Week that you find something you love to read and learn about. Keep curiosity and conversation flowing!
Warmly,
Brian
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