Throughout Banned Books Week — which runs from September 22–28 — and into October, The Salt Lake City Public Library is drawing attention to banned books. Libraries across the country will highlight some of the important books that have faced bans/challenges and take a stand for Intellectual Freedom. In its simplest form, Intellectual Freedom is the right to information, the right to choose what you want to read — and not have others make that choice for you.
Utah is a state that values independence and trusts individuals and families to make the best decisions for themselves and their households. Book challenges and bans take away that right, allowing others to make decisions for what is available for you and your family to read. They create extra barriers to access books, silence marginalized voices, and limit available perspectives.
According to data that the American Library Association has collected, "Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts [in 2023]." Data supports the finding that reading fiction improves empathy, helping children understand and empathize with people different from themselves, or see themselves reflected in characters and stories. In the words of poet Natalie Diaz, “Reading is a way of practicing the imagination necessary to broaden our capacities to understand ourselves and others.”
