Banning Books?

With all the crazy in the news now a day, I hear libraries are closing to check the shelves for ‘inappropriate books’.

Back in the day, I worked in a public library and listened to the librarians choose what they thought would be good additions to the local community. They made their selections from tried and true reviews and authors. Their list was sent to the head librarian to approve and sign off the budget request.

The librarians knew what was being requested from the public but they didn’t hear all voices.

The school library only reflected the subjects being taught, but the public library was an adventure. Shelves divided into categories like fiction or non-fiction, history, art, science, sports, politics, children’s stories and more. The Dewey decimal system could find them (unless they were checked out) but the library offered you the variety of thought and ideas.

By the time a book is published, it is out of date, but the idea is still offered to the reader to expand their views.

The library offered new ideas that school or home had not mentioned.

Certainly libraries were somewhat withheld from putting any book that was published to be available on the shelves. While many of the authors wrote of what some would find offensive in the polite sociality, the public library was not a place to find those subjects. The XXX-Porn Bookstore was around the corner. The art & music department offered classical music and artist, but was redacted. Only the museum was a place to see naked ladies.

With that freedom of speech clause, anyone anywhere can think what they want and say what they want and write what they want.

Publishers can print it. Albums can record it. Movies can show it.

There are already plenty of warnings that the material about to be consumed may be offensive or reviled by you. It is your choice.

The law requires age limits. You must be 16 years old to drive a motor vehicle. You must be 18 years old to participate in consensual sex, vote or die for your country. You must be 21 years old to drink alcoholic liquids. There is no age limit on learning to read.

I’m not an avid reader but I’ve read my share. I’m not fond of fiction but have been influenced by stories of make believe. I do like a variety of opinions or points-of-view to take parts and pieces to conform my values.

My question is who redacts or bans books? Legislators? Religion? Community? Parents? Educators? Who has the right to hide ideas?

What are the books to be banned?