New Banned Book Club Launches at South Branch Library coinciding with Banned Books Week
09/09/22
The new B3C — Breck Banned Book Club — is planning monthly discussions at the South Branch Library.
The launch on Thursday, September 22nd coincides with Banned Books Week!
September 18 - 24, 2022
(https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned)
Per the American Library Association (ALA), “Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlighting current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For 40 years, the annual event has brought together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.”
Discovering a shared concern for the seemingly growing publicity about attempts to ban books in libraries around the country, three locals met in August to create a volunteer led book club. The group wants to show support for librarians while “learning for ourselves what the fuss is all about.”
In August, they read To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, one of the most challenged and banned books in American history. Published in 1960, the setting is a small 1930s Alabama town. Still appearing on the ALA’s annual top 10 challenged books as recently as 2019.
The initial focus of B3C will be books from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned and Challenged Classics (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics), along with their Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021 (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10).
Club members will take turns selecting the next read from the historically most challenged novels or fiction and nonfiction receiving the most challenges in the last year. Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie and Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence, both challenged classics, are planned for discussion in October and November respectively.
The volunteer led club hopes to celebrate the freedom to read with thoughtful discussions respecting the authors and our fellow club members. Diving into a different challenged book each month, each member will get the opportunity to improve their skills when talking about and listening to important and sometimes difficult topics.
Books will be available at the meetings for checkout.
For more information email b[email protected].
