Bookstore Says Read a ‘Banned’ Book
Contact: Diane Genthner, 581-1744
ORONO — The University Bookstore at the University of Maine is joining with the American Library Association in its observance of “Banned Books Week” Sept. 25-Oct. 2 and encouraging public participation by reading a controversial book.
Thousands of libraries and bookstores across the country plan to celebrate the freedom to read by participating in special events, exhibits and read-outs that showcase books that have been banned or threatened. According to Diane Genthner, tradebook manager at the UMaine Bookstore, the store will host the following activities: displays of banned or challenged books; a top-ten list of stupid reasons to ban a book; and information on the history of Banned Books Week.
Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded the public that while not every book is intended for every reader, each reader has the right to decide what to read, listen to or view. This year’s observance commemorates the most basic freedom in a democratic society — the freedom to read freely and not take that freedom for granted, the ALA says in a statement.
Classics like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “The Catcher in the Rye” and even the Harry Potter series, have been challenged by parents or school administrators who believe such books should be banned from school libraries.
“…Challenges are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others,” the ALA says. “Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves.”
Genthner says her support for Banned Books Week observances stem from a love of books, “and by extension, freedom of thought and intellectual freedom.” Decisions about what to read or not read should be personal ones, she says, not sweeping community-wide policies.