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.
Death Toll Rises in Indonesia; Tsunami has Claimed Close to 1,350 Lives
The citizens of Palu are still dealing with the aftermath of Friday's earthquake.
On Friday, the city of Palu was overcome by a 20-foot tsunami after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit near Sulawesi.
The island is the 11th largest in the Indonesian archipelago, and Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province, is home to 300,000 people and considered an emerging tourist destination. Five days after the initial catastrophe, widespread destruction and dwindling resources create a climate of fear and desperation, and damage to roads and infrastructure have made it difficult for resources to reach critically affected areas, leaving people to live in makeshift tents and loot stores for food and water.
Efforts to find survivors among demolished buildings and rubble has been slow work, with most rescue teams working by hand. On Sunday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson for the disaster agency (BNBP), said they pulled 13 bodies and two survivors from the wreckage of malls and hotels. One hotel had an estimated 50 people trapped inside as of Monday morning.
ABC now in Palu - at one of the worst disaster sites - a 7 storey hotel that collapsed in the earthquake. 30-40 people still inside, voices were still calling for help this morning @abcnews pic.twitter.com/2tE4vSEYhL
— Anne Barker (@AnneABarker) October 1, 2018
Some lives ended horrifically when they were buried in mud in a phenomenon known as liquefaction. When soil is loose, waterlogged, and shaken violently (as it does during a strong earthquake), it can become unstable and sink unevenly, losing its ability to support structures such as houses and bridge foundations. Several thousand homes were lost in the region as the ground underneath them gave way. As of right now, more than 61,000 have fled their homes and are trying to escape a city plagued by bandits and "armed thugs."
BBC reporters in the area observed police guarding shops, with locals pressing for entry. Officers sprayed tear gas and fired shots in the air to disperse crowds. Stones were thrown at officers as tensions rose. Eventually, the authorities relented and allowed entry as people excitedly grabbed bags of food and drink.
Adek Berry/Agence France-Presse
On Monday, thousands of people wanting to escape the city flocked to the airport runway, breaking down fences and hugging the wheels of military planes attempting take-off. "We have not eaten for three days!" one woman yelled. "We just want to be safe!"
While there were plans to install a warning system after the severe 2004 tsunami, these plans were stalled due to intergovernmental disagreements. The little warning that citizens of Palu were supposed to get, a series of government-sponsored text messages, never went out because of earthquake interference. Because of this, many Indonesians feel that their government has failed them, both in the preparatory stages and in their dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
In response to the devastation, humanitarian aid is now reaching the city in guarded convoys. More than 18 countries, including the United States and Australia, have pledged to help. President Trump told reporters on Monday that he dispatched first responders and the military to help with the "really bad, bad situation."
No significant foreign military aid has yet arrived in the region.
Joshua Smalley is a New York-based writer, editor, and playwright. Find Josh at his website and on Twitter: @smalleywrites.
- Indonesian Tsunami: Could It Happen in the U.S.? - The Atlantic ›
- Indonesia tsunami: why the waves were so deadly - Vox ›
- Indonesia tsunami: Death toll rises to nearly 1,350 - BBC News ›
- Indonesian government accused of mishandling tsunami warnings ... ›
- What Went Wrong With Indonesia's Tsunami Early Warning System ... ›