More of the same

Book banning has unexpectedly turned into an election issue this year as some people have accused the Republican VP nominee of trying to ban books in her local public library. Every years, it seems, librarians are reminded that books can be an explosive topic. ALA has recently published a new list of challenged titles and most of them are titles that reappear year after year. The top title Tango Makes Three is a recent picture book with a theme of homosexuality among penguins and already it has already attracted a strong band of supporters and attackers and appears to be destined to remain on the list for years. Other books like The Chocolate Wars and Huckleberry Finn are veterans that appear year after year as new readers discover that even children's books can have disturbing content. Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass, which was turned into a movie this year, is somewhat unusual because the only objection to it is its religious viewpoint. As librarians choose materials from the hundreds of titles produced each year, they can't help but wonder how many of them will cause complaints among some community members. It's good to be aware that challenges may come, but also important to remember our professional commitment to offering a wide range of choices rather than choosing to avoid all controversy. A library with no complaints may be a library that is too dull to notice.