It’s National Library Week, so I’ve been thinking a lot about knowledge and the idea that knowledge should be readily available – for all. An informed populace is crucial to the health of the nation and a bulwark of democracy. The ability to think, to reason, to avoid being fooled, all these notions are tied to reading and easy access to the wisdom of the ages.
And this is exactly why libraries – and their contents – are under siege these days.
HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery recently told readers:
“Librarians are living in constant fear. They have become the targets
of Republican politicians and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty
Liberty that are hellbent on burning books about LGBTQ+ people,
people of color and racism. Some librarians are quitting their jobs
because of constant harassment; others are getting fired for
refusing to clear shelves of books that conservatives don’t like.”
If that’s not bad enough – and it is – Bendery informs us there’s another evil twist in the tale: “The GOP’s censorship campaign has shifted from book bans to legislation threatening librarians with jail time.” Idaho’s tried several times to enact such legislation; this February, West Virginia passed a bill “making librarians criminally liable if a minor comes across content that some might consider obscene.” Idaho, Iowa, Alabama, and Georgia are also considering various means of keeping books they don’t like off the shelves...and they’re not alone.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shared some frightening statistics: “The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.”
Given these ever-more-frequent, ever-more-strident attacks, what can a concerned reader do to stem the tide of book-banning?
PEN America, an organization whose mission “is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible,” offers a number of ways to make one’s voice heard. Whether you’re a student, a parent, an author, or a librarian, PEN America provides advice, assistance, and resources to keep you informed and ready to push back.
The need to support the nation’s libraries is more urgent than ever. In Bendery’s HuffPost piece, American Library Association President Emily Drabinski draws a chilling conclusion: “What gets lost in conversations about book banning is that it’s really about eliminating the institution of the library, period. It’s not about the books. Well, it is about the books, but the books are the way in to gut one of the last public institutions that serves everyone.”
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture,” Ray Bradbury once said. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
Bradbury was one of the 20th century’s finest fabulists, the author of The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the worldwide blockbuster Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1952, the novel Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future where books are illegal and firemen don’t put out fires – they start them. Printed matter is what they burn.
Bradbury was writing in the tense, paranoid early years of the McCarthy era. But he might as well have penned those words last Thursday.
Support your local library. Speak up for the voices the hate-mongers would shut down. Before – as history’s proven again and again – they try to shut down yours.
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Students fight a book ban by giving away free banned bookswww.youtube.com
The New York Public Library has also weighed in on the matter, you can find its suggestions here.
What is an Adaptogen?
Is this the health craze of the future?
According to the dictionary, adaptogens are an herbal medicine derived from certain plants and fungi that help the body adapt to stress, but this doesn't really provide the whole story. When we get stressed our cortisol levels rise, triggering the "famous flight or fight" response. Cortisol is important, as it give us energy when we're stressed or exercising, but if there is an excess of the hormone, it can contribute to weight gain and high blood pressure. Chronic stress, one of the main culprits behind high cortisol, has been tied to a number of issues including anxiety, fatigue, and sleep loss. While the science behind adaptogens isn't 100% clear, there is a strong contingent of loyal users who swear by these natural products and their abilities to combat the effects of high cortisol. Since adaptogens are dietary supplements, the FDA doesn't play a very active role in regulating them. This means there's a pretty high rate of fraudulent marketing in the field. Still, peddlers and users alike will rabidly defend the health benefits of taking these natural stress reducers.
Part of the appeal of adaptogens is that they have deep roots, using Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs, medicines that have been around for thousands of years. Unfortunately, these deep roots don't mean much in terms of flavor. According to Jack Latner, owner of Lifehouse Elixirs and Tonic Cafe in Los Angeles, "99.9% of [these herbs] taste horrible on their own." The herbs also have tough-to-pronounce names like astragalus and ashwagandha, which according Latner makes them slightly unapproachable to newcomers. Latner focuses on creating beautifully colored, adaptogen-infused smoothies to get customers to come into his shop.
Adaptogen smoothie
Latner's commitment to making adaptogens more accessible has been derided by some however. Many nutritionists believe that these supplements need to be consumed consistently, and that occasionally having them in smoothies or other beverages is unlikely to have any effect. The idea is that these products need to be treated like a form of regular self-care. The real question, however, is do these supplements actually work?
Nearly 68% of the population uses some kind of dietary supplement, despite the fact that most supplements aren't tested in a controlled environment. Instead of performing tests comparing effects against those of a placebo, most newsworthy studies surrounding supplements are purely observational. That is to say, there isn't much evidence to support their purported health benefits. Still, possibly due to sensationalist headlines, the market for dietary supplements is estimated to hit $278 billion by 2024. While there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Americans don't get enough nutrition through food, it's still unclear whether or not supplements are the answer to this problem.
All that in mind, as a niche segment of the reasonably suspect supplement industry, adaptogens actually seem to be effective. They've been studied extensively since World War II, most notably by scientists in the USSR, and while some of their effects have been exaggerated, there are studies that indicate that adaptogens, particularly the plant Rhodiola Rosea, can reduce fatigue and increase a subject's ability to pay attention after being administered regularly over a four-week span. Unlike many supplement tests, the testing of Rhodiola Rosea was done in a placebo-controlled setting.
It's important not to take the results of single study as an unfailing endorsement, but as it stands, it can be argued that at least some adaptogens are effective. That said, the lack of FDA regulation should give potential consumers pause. While it has been discovered that most adaptogens are innocuous, it's worth thoroughly researching the exact supplement you want to take before going out and buy some. These supplements probably won't do any bodily harm, as studies show they're safe for human consumption, but, as with anything, studying up on adaptogens before buying them is a good idea.
Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found in Inked Magazine, Pop Dust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. -- Find Matt at his website and on Twitter: @mattclibanoff
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