“STAND WITH THE BANNED”: Author Airlie Anderson, whose children’s book “Neither” is frequently challenged, will participate in the read-out on September 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Hinds Plaza.

By Wendy Greenberg

Rallying against an uptick in banned or challenged books, community members can stand against restricting access to books when Princeton area leaders, authors, and advocates read aloud from some of these targeted books.

“Stand with the Banned,” a read-out sponsored by Princeton Public Library, Labyrinth Books, and Princeton University Press, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, will take place on Monday, September 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Hinds Plaza. The library Community Room will serve as a rain location.

“As a Book Sanctuary City in a state where a Freedom to Read Act is advancing through the Legislature, Princeton enjoys strong protections against censorship,” said library Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky. “The library and our community partners believe these protections bring a responsibility to stand in solidarity with communities that are dealing with attempts to ban books and stifle intellectual freedom.”

It is hoped the event will raise awareness and have the feeling of a rally, said library Adult Programming Manager Janie Hermann. Additional events on Hinds Plaza related to Banned Books Week (September 22 to 28) will include a community art project and a selfie station where attendees can affirm their belief in the freedom to read safely.

Many people don’t realize that books that they may have read and loved have been challenged or banned. Some of the surprising books Hermann noted include The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford (because of a sunbathing depiction), Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, and Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne and other books which feature animals who speak, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, and Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls Rights by Malala Yousafzai, among many others.

Most recent data from the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom documenting book challenges throughout the United States, finds that challenges of unique titles surged 65 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 numbers, reaching the highest level ever documented by ALA, according to its website. The ALA documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship, as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023.

The library has recognized Banned Books Week at least since the 1980s, said Hermann. Depending on national surges of banned books, the event has ranged from something low-key, such as a list or bulletin board, to community programs. In 2010 the library hosted “Revolutionary Readings,” a staged reading by a group of actors led by Brandon Monokian in response to the Amy Sonnie’s anthology Revolutionary Voices being banned from several libraries in South Jersey. The book highlights queer, youth voices. Last year’s event was a panel moderated by the American Civil Liberties Union held at Labyrinth Books, “More than Empty Shelves: How Book Bans Undermine Identities and Restrict Information.”

This year Banned Book Week comes on the heels of the Library Board of Trustees declaring the library a Book Sanctuary and Princeton Council following suit. Princeton Council passed a resolution last April declaring the town a book sanctuary. The resolution supports and protects the right of people in New Jersey to access materials in libraries and schools, and protects library staff members from harassment.

Although Princeton has the sanctuary designation, pointed out Hermann, “we feel our colleagues under attack. We want to stand in solidarity. We are surrounded (some Central New Jersey high school libraries have removed books), but it only takes a vocal minority to start a challenge anywhere. The issue is not going away.”

Just recently, she noted, a librarian in Louisiana spoke out against censorship and was disparaged by townspeople. That librarian, Amanda Jones, wrote about her experience in a book published this past August — That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.

The Stand with the Banned event will honor books that have been challenged or banned throughout history. Guest readers will read excerpts from classics that have shaped the literary landscape as well as contemporary works that spark important conversations and illuminate diverse perspectives, lives, and ideas.

Some 20 readers will include New Jersey State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Princeton Councilmember Leighton Newlin, Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees member and Princeton Councilmember Eve Niedergang, Christie Henry of Princeton University Press, Jill Dolan of Princeton University, poet Patricia Smith of the Lewis Center, and artist Marion Davila. Authors Airlie Anderson, whose children’s book Neither is frequently challenged, and Princeton Creative Writing Program faculty member A.M. Homes will read from their own books that have been banned or challenged.

“The freedom to read is the cornerstone of a free society,” said Hermann. “Banned Books Week serves as an important reminder that access to diverse ideas and perspectives is crucial for a thriving democracy.”