Book Display Idea - Banned Books Week

 

Bookriot has a great article up about Building Good Banned Book Displays. While I encourage all of you to read the entire thing and to take their advice into consideration as you build your displays, there are two points that I want to highlight.

The first is to focus on contemporary titles that have been challenged. As Bookriot’s Nikki DeMarco notes “Be sure to include recent titles in your display of banned and challenged books. When people recognize a title or have a personal connection to it, then learn that it was banned, the impact on that person is even greater.”  While titles like Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Catcher in the Rye have a history of challenges, we don’t want anyone to think that current books that they have enjoyed are not the focus of bans. Making them aware that books like A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and Drama by Raina Telgemeier will highlight that bans have an ongoing impact. The ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom has an archive of the top ten banned books. Bookriot also has excellent coverage of attempts to ban books throughout the US.

The second idea that DeMarco brings up to make your display interactive. I have presented about this topic in webinars recently. Adding something for patrons to participate in will draw in some who might have walked by. Don’t forget to add an online interactive element to your website, blog, or social media. Younger readers can create bookmarks for banned books week. Patrons can submit lists of banned books that they have read. You can ask that local businesses including restaurants and coffee houses post your lists of banned books available at your library. Ask patrons to post a picture of themselves with a banned book on their own social media page and tag your library.

The ALA has information and downloads about Banned Book Week to help get you started.