As Ridge students entered the Media Center this September, a surprise greeted them: Harry Potter, The Catcher in the Rye, and To Kill a Mockingbird, among others, formed a display under the words, “Banned Books.”
In conjunction with libraries around the nation, the Media Center staff participated in the annual Banned Books Week (Sept. 21-27, 2014) to encourage the freedom to read and celebrate banned books. Many institutions, including schools and libraries, have prohibited texts because of certain content. According to the American Library Association, this annual week was designed to draw attention to the harms of censorship and celebrate the freedom provided by the First Amendment.
Ridge High School took part in the celebration this year. Led by Dr. McNally, the Media Specialist at Ridge High School, the Media Center did their share to honor the freedom of expression and protest censorship. Dr. McNally strongly believes in the idea of showcasing banned books: “We celebrate these books to call people’s awareness to the fact that there’s no such thing as something that’s not offensive to anybody.”
While one might deem a certain text offensive, another might find it thought-provoking and beneficial to society. For example, some contend that Harper Lee’s renowned novel To Kill a Mockingbird stands as one of the best American novels; however, classrooms and libraries continue to ban it, calling it profane, racist, and a supporter of white supremacy. Additionally, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn faces criticism every year from schools and libraries for allegedly promoting racism and using derogatory names toward African-Americans, despite the historical context of the novel.
Many students agree with the idea of Banned Books Week. Raquel Cordivari ’16 comments, “Personally, I don’t see the purpose in banning innocent books like Harry Potter in the U.S at least. I think that almost all books have some value to society, and in preventing our citizens from reading them, it’s sort of a violation of our First Amendment rights.”
Through celebrating these banned books, many students and staff realized how the crucial First Amendment relates to fiction and non-fiction alike. With censorship in action, Dr. McNally believes that Americans would not be as knowledgeable and explorative as they are today.
Dr. McNally also states that while a school can’t force a student to read something polemical, libraries should provide all types of books. “Libraries are places for people to get new ideas,” she explains. “In a library, all ideas can be explored.”