I have a great boss. This past Thursday my boss gave me the opportunity to join her at the press conference and senate debate of Bill S.2696. In very simple terms, this bill protects librarians from unlawful firing for the books they chose to showcase in their library and allows challenged books to stay on the shelves while they are being discussed about educational content or social value. It’s a sad reality but an extremely necessary bill with the world we live in. The press conference was packed with support from the members of the MLA, the Massachusetts Library Association, staff from the Boston Public Library including the President, David Leonard, and many Authors. Â
Author, Jarrett Krosoczka, spoke about his book Hey, Kiddo which was banned in Florida and led to the firing of a public school librarian. Hey, Kiddo, a National Book Award Finalist, is about his childhood which was shaped by his mothers heroin addiction. Krosoczka, spoke about representation and the importance of kids seeing themselves reflected in the books that they read. Krosoczka was just one of the authors that came forward to share a statement about their books being banned along with many statements that were read for authors in support of this bill.Â
According to Poets, Essayists, and Novelists, PEN, America, “6,870 books bans were enacted during the 2024-25 school year, across 23 states and 87 public school districts”, targeting books by LGBTQ+ authors, female authors, and authors of color. Remember that “6,870 books” was just the count for the 2024-25 school year. This adds up to about 23,000 book bans in public schools across the US since 2021…go back and read that number again, 23,000 books. While Florida and Texas are the largest culprit of book bans, Massachusetts is no stranger to book bans. During the press conference many senators argued the Massachusetts was #4 for book bans though I cannot find any exact evidence to support this number. No matter the exact number, book bans should not be happening, censorship should not be happening. As Americans we are entitled to certain freedoms including freedom of expression. Censorship directly prohibits our freedom of choice.Â
What can you do to help?Â
- Send a letter to your state elected officials demanding that they stand up for books and oppose book bans.Â
- Organize or volunteer at a book driveÂ
- Volunteer at your local librariesÂ
SO many opportunities are available; Just Google!
I have to admit, while I have a strong interest in politics, debates in the senate are where I falter off. Two hours of my life was dedicated to staring at the back of a man’s head while senators read statements and made alterations of the bill. There was a certain point that afternoon where I decided to go and find the state house library. Â