Librarian Megan Atencio is standing in front of a display of banned books. She hosts a book club at the Santa Fe Public Library that recently read books from the American Library Association’s list of most commonly banned books.
“A library is a place of access to information, and it doesn’t matter if you agree with a book or not,” she said. “If it’s been selected, it’s been selected because there’s value in it in some way, shape or form.”
It’s Banned Books Week, and some New Mexicans are celebrating simply by reading. The American Library Association is behind the event and puts out a list of most commonly banned books each year.
Most of the books on the list cover LGBTQIA+ themes, and all of them have been banned over claims that they are sexually explicit. The ALA said 2022 saw more attempted book bans than any other year in the 20 years it has tracked them.
Atencio pointed out that their coworker who created the display, Ronald Anderson, added one and five-star reviews from Amazon for each book there, including this positive one for Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison:
“I loved this funny and well-written story so much. The likable hero and his trials and tribulations made him so endearing.”
And this one from a reader who liked it less:
“At first, I was interested, thinking it might be a good story. The more I read, I became disgusted with the vulgarity. I suppose it’s real life, but I got tired of it.”
The ALA puts on activities and events online and for classrooms throughout the week.
Atencio in Santa Fe has one big recommendation for anyone who wants to mark Banned Books Week.
“Read the books. Learn about why it’s being challenged. If you really enjoy the book, recommend it to a friend,” she said.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
