Book banning has been at an all time high the last four years. Each year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reports higher and higher numbers of unique titles being challenged in public, academic, and school libraries. In 2023, over 4,000 books were challenged across the United States, with over 100 of those challenges coming from Missouri. These numbers are astounding compared to the surge of book bans in the 80s that initially led to the creation of Banned Books Week, which is usually held around the last week of September. Many of the books currently being challenged are written by or about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals, but books about puberty, anatomy, and art are seeing several challenges as well. Even classics like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee aren’t safe.

Here at MRRL, we have been fortunate enough to only have two formal challenges placed since this wave of censorship began, and both challenges were resolved without having to remove either book from our shelves. Of course, we still encounter the occasional disgruntled guardian, and some patrons take it upon themselves to remove the books they find offensive: we have found books that have been hidden behind and under furniture, moved to higher shelves where they can’t be reached, or turned around so that cover cannot be seen. Some books go missing altogether. While some of this can be attributed to people being inconsiderate at best, when the books in question are the same books that are being banned and challenged across the country, the message comes across loud and clear.

We understand that there are some books you do not want your child to read and some conversations you do not want to have. That is true for any parent or guardian. However, not all parents are going to agree on what is or is not appropriate for their child, and by hiding and removing the books you disagree with, you are taking the right of choice away from another parent.

If you see a book that you do not want your child to read or check out, here are some librarian-approved ways to make sure that both your family and the other families who use the library go home with the perfect books:

• Take it to the librarian and ask them to hold it behind the desk until your family leaves. You don’t have to worry about your child picking it up, and we know where it is. Everyone is happy!
• Ignore it. If you make a big deal out of it, it will only draw your child’s attention to it, which kind of defeats the purpose.
• Read the book with your child. That may sound counterintuitive, but wouldn’t it be better for your child to learn about tough topics from their parents? By reading the book together, you can answer their questions and explain your viewpoint in an age-appropriate way.

If you are concerned about your child accidentally checking out a book you do not approve of, here are some ways to prevent that from happening:

• Check your child’s books before they check out. Most books have a description on the inside cover or the back of the book that will tell you what it’s about. Flipping through the pages quickly can also clue you in on the language used throughout.
• Check out our online catalog for age recommendations and reviews.
• Fill out a minor consent form. Children under 10 years old cannot be in the library unsupervised anyway, but all minors need to have a consent form filled out that either gives them permission to check out without a guardian, or requires a guardian to be present at the time of check out. You can change the permissions on your child’s card at any time.
• Ask a librarian for recommendations! We love helping patrons find the perfect books to take home, and we are happy to accommodate most requests. You can even try out our Book Box program to receive carefully curated books every month.

At MRRL we understand that not every book is right for every patron, but we believe that for every patron, there should be a book. For more information about book banning and censorship, check out the links below for further reading:

Book Riot: A Censorship Language Primer 

• You can also sign up for Book Riot’s Literary Activism newsletter here.

American Library Association: Banned & Challenged Books

PEN America: Book Bans