ANNAPOLIS–At the local library, a nine-year-old boy was incredulous that so many of his favorite books had been banned in libraries and school districts across the country.
“Where the Wild Things Are,” “Captain Underpants” and “The Lorax” were among those that received the loudest reactions from the small group of children that attended Thursday’s event.
“I have that book at home,” the young boy exclaimed. “I read banned books!”
Anne Arundel County Public Library was designated as a book sanctuary last fall, the first in the state. Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library, where the event was held, is one of the sixteen libraries in the library system.
The library declared itself as a “defender of intellectual freedom,” providing a space for individuals to learn without censorship, said CEO Skip Auld last September.
Almost ten children showed up to the event, accompanied by parents and nannies, which aimed to provide exposure about banned books, highlighting popular children’s books that have been banned around the country.
Kate Yuan brought her five-year-old son to the event.
“The world feels very restrictive right now,” Yuan said as tears welled up in her eyes. Banning books isn’t just about the books themselves, she said. When a book is banned, she remembers the moment that she first read the book to her child.
“I would be sad,” Yuan’s son said, referencing “Captain Underpants,” one of the banned books featured on the display.
Laura Lieberman, who organized the event, has been a librarian since 1991. She primarily works with children, ranging from preschool to elementary school.
“Reading is knowledge,” Lieberman said. “Unless they fall in love with reading and learning, how else are they going to get to know the world?”
Christine Feldmann, the director of marketing and communications for AACPL, emphasized the role that librarians play in a culture of censorship and book bans.
“Librarians definitely face a lot of anger from individuals who aren’t happy with the programs and the books that we offer,” Feldmann said. “They [also] have to deal with a lot more people in crisis, too.”