Find something offensive in your library

Normally I like to use my column to talk about all the exciting things happening in the library, but this month I want to write from my heart. The first week of October is Banned Books Week, and lately there has been a lot of talk about books and what should or should not be in libraries. As a relatively new library director and former educator, this subject has always interested me. A bookmark I recently saw had a quote by Jo Godwin that said, “A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.” Throughout history, libraries have been a place for discussion and learning and a place where people are free to explore new or controversial ideas.

We are fortunate that our community supports these ideals as well; however, not all libraries are so fortunate. A library in the tiny town of Dayton, Washington has twice been threatened with closure because a small group of people disagreed with a pride display the library put up last June. If the library district had been dissolved, the wonderful opportunity offered by libraries to discover and explore new ideas would be gone as well. Fortunately, in this case, the effort to dissolve the library failed by extremely slim margins both times signatures were collected.

This truly breaks my heart. A group may not agree with the principles of the books on display, but by asking for those books to be removed and ultimately, in this case, gathering signatures to close the library, they are robbing themselves of the chance to better understand the issues contained in the books. What if, instead of banning books or threatening to close libraries because they contain materials that are offensive, we use these materials as teaching moments. If we don’t agree with an idea, engage with the offensive material, study the issue, engage in conversations with people from the other side to better understand their point of view or use books as teaching moments to help us learn from our past and to create a better future.

This is what makes libraries such great resources. They give us the opportunity to engage and learn even if we don’t agree with all the materials contained within them. I am very thankful to live in a community where the library is valued and instead of looking for ways to censor our materials, people are open to learning and value the idea that all people should be reflected in our library.

The goal of the La Conner Swinomish Library is to be a place where all people are welcome and can find something that is either a reflection of who they are or a place to discover a new or challenging idea, and it is my hope that if you find something in our library that does offend you, use it as an opportunity engage with that material to expand and grow.