The Lifesaving Power of Books: My Personal Journey and a Call to Action

Books saved my life.

No, not in the literal sense. Not in the someone was trying to stab me but luckily I had a book to use as a shield sense.

But in the soul-saving sense… yes, they did.

I grew up in a dysfunctional family stuffed to the gills with mental and emotional abuse and an unhealthy dose of generational trauma served up as a side. Books saw me. And they understood what they saw. Drowning in that house of fear and unhappiness books were a safe island haven. A place where for however long I visited, I wasn’t alone. A place that whispered to me, “This isn’t okay.” A message they repeated over and over until I was strong enough to say it out loud for myself. I left that unsafe house at 17 and never looked back.

Both city and school libraries were responsible for my broad exposure to books. I was lucky to live in a large city with a diverse population. This meant the local library districts had a solid range of books on many themes. I’m unsure what would have happened to me without this beautiful resource. But I am pretty certain I wouldn’t be in my office contentedly writing this article to share with you.

Tragically, book bans are on the rise in America.

The American Library Association (ALA) documented that in 2022 alone 1,269 books were exposed to book-banning attempts. This is almost double the reported attempts for 2021 and is the highest number of attempted book bans in the 20+ years of the ALA data collection on library censorship.

Pen America’s report on the content of the banned books shows that race, history, LGBTQ+, and gender issues make up a large percentage of this censorship. Themes on violence/ abuse, health/well-being, and death/ grief make up a nearly equal percentage. These are themes children throughout America face daily.

Yet the ALA reports that 74% of parents do not support book banning. So why are these book bans gaining so much traction?

Pen America’s report shows it is a small minority of loud neigh-sayers uniting in social media groups to influence legislation that promotes censorship. These groups are responsible for at least half of last school year’s book bans.

In one case a group of county commissioners threatened to shut down an entire library district when a judge ruled in favor of seven parents, ordering the libraries to replace 12 books removed from the shelves due to censorship.

My inner child is heartbroken.

What are we The Lovers of Books to do? How can we protect our First Amendment rights from the loud-mouthed minority of book banners? How can we protect this right for the most vulnerable among us? The ones who can’t just go out and buy banned books because they don’t have the resources or time to do so. Because let’s be real, it’s the vulnerable ones that need us to defend this right the most.

Banning books silences the vulnerable.

Here is a short list of practical ways we can advocate for the vulnerable ones:

1. Stay up to date with your local community news. If you’re lucky enough to have a community paper subscribe to it. This is the best place to stay on top of local events. It can be challenging since small local newspapers are on the decline. So do your best to keep track of community board meetings- the ones for schools, libraries, and city councils. Your right to request agendas and minutes to these board meetings is protected by law. Put in a request to review them.
2. Know who the advocacy and alliance groups in your community are. If an issue of censorship does arise, you can contact these groups to raise local supporters who will stand with you to protect the right of freedom of speech. Don’t forget local child and teen advocacy groups. The voices of children joined together for a cause are powerful.
3. Vote. In most communities, local board positions are elected offices. Know who you’re voting for. Ask them questions. If you have the ability, serve on the board.
4. Know your local library’s collection policies. These are often found on their website. Use this knowledge to request materials. Ask why certain books are not available. This raises awareness among the librarians about what books are needed within your community. If you need help knowing which ones to request the ALA puts out an annual list of the most commonly banned books.
5. Participate in Banned Book Week to raise awareness. Use the #bandbooksweek on your social media sites. 2023’s banned book week theme is “Let Freedom Read”. This year’s official banned books week is October 1st — 7th.
6. Stand up for all banned books. Not just the ones you like. Even if you dislike a book support it because any successful censorship gains momentum for more.

As a child, books saved my life. As an adult, it is not only my right but my privilege to protect them. To help guarantee the ones who need them most have access to them.

If you feel this way too, please join me in supporting banned books. Even if you can only do one item from the list you will be helping to support the right to freedom of speech and information.

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Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio, https://www.pexels.com/@olly/