Mr. Nelson gives a presentation in the library as the bookshelves are blocked with caution tape. Photo by Alex Hajjar.
On April 28, 2023, Fort Hamilton High School’s Library hosted a presentation on the widespread conflict of book banning in schools and libraries across the United States.
The book banning movement is happening in many places in the United States where bills are being passed to deprive students of certain books. Many of these books are being challenged or banned because parents and politicians consider them inappropriate and dangerous to the developing minds of children.
Some of the most frequently banned titles of 2023 include:
● The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
● The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault
● The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
● I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing by Maya Angelou
● 1984 by George Orwell
● Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
● All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Fort Hamilton’s librarians put this presentation together to teach students about the rising threat of book bans and instill a sense of urgency in students about the possibility of such challenges and bans coming to New York.
“The goal of this presentation was to raise awareness, give students a chance to consider their position on the subject, and inspire them to question what is happening and why,” explained Mr. Nelson, the school’s lead librarian.
To do this, Mr. Nelson painted a grim picture for the audience, prompting them to imagine what Fort Hamilton’s library would look like if its 10,968 titles were challenged or subject to review. The bookshelves around the room were covered in black paper and CAUTION tape with the words “Do Not Read” to see how students would react to books that are not accessible.
“To ban almost 11,000 books because of the off-chance of a student or parent having a problem with it, that’s the sort of thing a child would do,” commented one student when asked how he felt about the possibility of book bans in Fort Hamilton.
Other students in the audience initially responded with indifference, citing the Internet’s ability to make any text, voice, or controversial idea accessible to people of all ages. Mr. Nelson then challenged the audience to consider the possibility of content bans happening on the Internet as well. In April of this year, for instance, Montana became the first state to ban access to Tik Tok on personal devices used within state lines. Although the ban was designed to address concerns about national security (given the app’s ties to China), TikTok responded that the Montana bill “infringes on the first amendment rights of the people of Montana.”
Many librarians and teachers in other states, meanwhile, can face years of imprisonment and tens of thousands of dollars in fines if they make certain books accessible for young students, according to an article for The Washington Post. Many of these librarians have chosen to cover their bookshelves so that they do not get into trouble with the law.
Ms. Sprague, another Fort Hamilton librarian, explained that students started expressing interest in this topic last year, so the presentations given at the library and in English teachers’ classrooms started in the spring of the 2021-2022 school year. Ms. Sprague said she wanted to “both educate students about book bannings and hopefully inspire them to take action.” At the end of the presentation, advisors asked the students present to rip down the black paper covering the books to restore the collection.
Hopefully, this presentation proves to be a success and encourages the young people of our generation to continue to read and take action against this injustice.