D.C. Public Library (DCPL) participated in Banned Books Week from Sept. 19 to Sept. 24, hosting a series of special programs and activities celebrating the freedom to read.

Banned Books Week celebrates literary freedom and acknowledges current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. Events throughout the week included an author talk with George M. Johnson, the honorary chair of Banned Books Week 2022 and the author of “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which was one of the most challenged books during 2021. DCPL also held a discussion on banned books and cancel culture with award-winning author Panama Jackson, HuffPost Opinion Editor Stephen A. Crockett Jr. and other panelists.

Launched in 1982 by free speech Judith Krug, the initiative was created in response to an unexpected surge in the number of book challenges in public schools and libraries. Today, the event is sponsored by several organizations dedicated to fighting censorship including the American Library Association (ALA).

Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of DCPL, said the week draws attention to the harms of censorship by focusing on efforts nationwide to remove or restrict access to books. 

“Book banning is a direct assault on libraries in their role as first amendment institutions,” Reyes-Gavilan wrote in a press release. “Free and open access to information is foundational to our existence and it is therefore critical that we expose attempts at censorship whenever we encounter them.”

The most common reasons books have been challenged or censored include if the book is considered to contain sexually explicit content, offensive language or is “unsuited to any age group.” Book banning rose in 2021, as the ALA recorded 729 book challenges targeting 1,597 titles, a figure more than double the numbers seen in 2020 and the highest figures since the ALA began recording data in 2000.

A report from nonprofit organization PEN America found that 41% of books banned during the past year were targeted due to content related to the LGBTQ+ community. In a list of the top 10 challenged books of 2021, compiled by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe sits at the top of the list. Kobabe’s book, which is a memoir centered around the exploration of gender identity, is followed by several other titles involving LGBTQ+ content, such as “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson. 

George Williams, media relations manager for DCPL, said recent censorship attempts across the country have been to books with content that relates to the LGBTQ+ community. 

“The American Library Association has been tracking the number of books that have been challenged and many of those books have been written by authors of color or deal with LGBTQ+ related affairs, particularly LGBTQ+-related items from the perspective of people of color,” Williams told The Hoya.

According to Meg Meiman, Associate Librarian at Lauinger Library, it is important to raise awareness about book banning for those who may not be aware of its prevalence today.

“Sometimes students are surprised that there is such a long history of banning books and that this practice still continues in all types of libraries across the country and around the world,” Meiman told the Hoya. 

According to Meiman, Lau makes sure to include access to books that have been challenged or censored across the country. 

“There are no criteria or processes for banning books in the Georgetown University Library, because we value intellectual freedom, and have a commitment to promoting open research and scholarly dialogue,” Meiman wrote. “The shelves of the University Library hold hundreds of books that have been banned or challenged over the years.”

While challenges to books are much more common in public and school libraries than at university libraries, Lau supports the ALA’s stance that communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and remains committed to promoting this message.

“Providing uncensored, free access to books offers readers the opportunity to engage with thoughts and ideas that may differ from their own,” Meiman wrote. “This allows people to expand their understanding of the world as well as their ability to contribute to society.” 

Wiliams said that beyond supporting initiatives like Banned Books week, it is important to ensure equality of access to all kinds of books and subjects.

“It is fundamental to make sure that libraries across the country are funded adequately,” Williams said, “Because even if a book isn’t banned, if a library does not have adequate funding to buy and maintain its collection, it won’t be able to offer books of a variety of viewpoints.”