Rant: My local library canceled Banned Books Week and I showed up anyway with my own pile

Last Tuesday I walked into the public library in Dayton, Ohio ready for their Banned Books Week display. Turned out they canceled it after some parent complained about "Gender Queer" being on the table. I had brought my own copy of "The Hate U Give" and "Maus" and sat in the reading area for 3 hours just flipping through them. The librarian actually asked me to leave because I was making other patrons 'uncomfortable'. How is reading a book making anyone uncomfortable unless they already know it's challenged? Has anyone else had a library back down from a display like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow6723d ago

So the librarian actually asked you to leave for reading? What's next, banning eyeballs? Making other patrons uncomfortable is a cop out. They mean the parent who complained was uncomfortable and they let one person bully the whole town. Maus and The Hate U Give are not even controversial, they're standard high school reading. Your library folded like a cheap lawn chair.

johnb953d ago

Figured I better stay quiet when I saw someone reading a dictionary last week, didn't want to get kicked out for looking at them funny. And I'm pretty sure my library would fold faster than a wet paper towel if someone complained about Dr. Seuss.