The University’s library system is observing Banned Books Week from Sunday to Saturday in an effort to advocate against the restriction of literature, according to an announcement by Rutgers University Libraries.
Banned Books Week is a week of raising awareness of book banning and challenging. The American Library Association (ALA) defines book challenging as “an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or group,” whereas banning refers to the outright removal of contested literature.
According to a report released by the ALA in March, incidents of attempted restriction of literature nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023. Groups seeking to challenge literature typically apply pressure to public and school libraries, with nearly half of challenged books focusing on race, gender and sexuality, the report found.
The 10 books that were most challenged in 2023 all cited explicitly sexual content for their reasoning, according to a list by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). Challenging was particularly strong in Florida and Texas, with 2,672 and 1,470 titles, respectively, facing harsh scrutiny. New Jersey saw 28 books challenged, the ALA OIF reported.
In January, the New Jersey Legislature introduced the Freedom to Read Act, which seeks to lift barriers to accessible literature and defend librarians from harassment. The bill was referred to the New Jersey Senate Education Committee on Thursday after passing through the state Assembly in June.
At the University level, Rutgers currently lists courses related to controversial or restricted literature. “Literature and Controversy” is an ongoing course in the Fall 2024 semester at Rutgers—Newark, and “Banned Books” is typically offered in the fall semester at Rutgers—New Brunswick, though it does not seem to be listed for the Fall 2024 semester.
The Eagleton Institute of Politics also found in a study conducted prior to the debut of the Freedom to Read Act that opinions on literary content in New Jersey vary largely on political lines. Democrats were more inclined to express concern for book banning, whereas Republicans tended to worry about inappropriate content appearing in school literature without parental approval.
When asked to compare the two, most New Jersey adults in the survey stated that book restrictions were more problematic than inappropriate material.
This year’s theme for Banned Books Week is “Freed Between the Lines.”
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