Bookstores and libraries in the Seacoast will celebrate Banned Books Week from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 with readings, community conversations, and displays of some of the books most frequently challenged — and in some cases, banned — across the country.
Water Street Bookstore in Exeter has been hosting a Banned Books Week celebration for the last four years, according to Stef Kiper Schmidt, the bookstore’s events coordinator. The store’s banned books celebration takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
“It’s definitely one thing that bookstores can get fired up about,” she says.
Water Street’s event includes a discussion about banned and challenged books in New Hampshire with representatives from the New Hampshire branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and readings from banned books by community members.
Banned Books Week began in 1982, and the event’s sponsors include the American Library Association (ALA), the American Booksellers Association, and other groups. According to the ALA, more than 11,300 books have been challenged in schools, bookstores, and libraries since 1982. Books like “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson, and “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi frequently appear on challenged books lists. Often, books are challenged by parents in order to shield children from what they believe is “inappropriate” content.
“People who come to our store … maybe don’t know this is something that happens in schools and libraries across the country,” Schmidt says. “The availability of books and the written word is such a tenet of American life, so it’s kind of scary to see the books that get put on this list. Stuff like ‘Captain Underpants’ — people think this is damaging to children. … It’s kind of nuts.”
ACLU of New Hampshire executive director Devon Chaffee says that a handful of notable book challenges have happened in the last five years. Parents in Bedford challenged the inclusion of “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich and “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen in the school district’s curriculum in 2010 and 2011, and both books were pulled. And, in 2014, Gilford’s public school pulled Jodi Picoult’s novel “Nineteen Minutes” after a parent complained at a school board meeting.
“The availability of books and the written word is such a tenet of American life, so it’s kind of scary to see the books that get put on this list.” — Stef Kiper Schmidt of Water Street Bookstore
“When books are banned, they impact not only rights of the parents who challenged the book but the rights of all individuals who use any given facility,” Chaffee says. “Parents have rights to set rules for their own children, but they do not have the right to limit access for an entire community, or close down an open space intended for the free flow of ideas.”
Libraries around the Seacoast will also be participating and most will have displays of frequently challenged books. The event also draws attention to the ways libraries provide information to the community, Chaffee says. She points to a recent attempt by federal and local law enforcement to dissuade the Lebanon Library from hosting a relay for Tor, a service that lets users browse the Internet anonymously.
“With strong local support, the Lebanon Library’s board of trustees decided to continue to host the relay in support of a network that helps Internet users protect their privacy and free speech rights,” she says.
Chaffee will be talking about banned books at Water Street on Tuesday. Her favorite banned book? “Persepolis,” a graphic novel about growing up during the Iranian revolution.
“(It’s) a great example because it details the challenges of living under an oppressive regime and with rampant censorship,” Chaffee says.
Banned Books Week takes place Sept. 27-Oct. 3 at libraries and bookstores across the state. A Banned Books Celebration takes place Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at Water Street Bookstore, 125 Water St., Exeter.