By J1 Reporter Alaina Kroll

When written documents were invented around 3,500 B.C., they were all that people wanted to get their hands on. Books eventually became a way to spread information and expand one’s knowledge on topics that they might not be familiar with. However, soon enough, leaders realized that knowledge is power—a power that could potentially overthrow them one day.

Since the birth of the United States, censorship has been prevalent—for example, the first book ban took place in 1637, and authors of color were silenced throughout the 1800s. However, mass book banning in the country didn’t become popular until the 1950s, and it continues to be a major issue through the 2020s.

From 2022 to 2023, book bans increased by 33%. During the first eight months of 2024, the American Library Association tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and 1,128 unique titles challenged. Omaha Public Library Millard Branch librarian, Beth, offered her perspective on the type of books she often sees targeted for censorship: “…the ones that I’ve heard about a lot have to do with picture books that represent [LGBTQIA+ themes].”

Although there have recently been many attempts to censor content nationwide, partly due to the new administration’s policies, public libraries are still standing up for their patrons’ right to express themselves. Beth says, “Public libraries stand for the option for the patrons to pick what they want, so we don’t really stand in the way of that.” In fact, she shared that recent book bans have actually strengthened her belief in their policy of “being able to offer everything to everyone.”

Beth is not the only one who thinks that book banning has the opposite effect: Eleanor Thibodeau, a junior at Marian, reveals that when she learns a book has been banned, it actually makes her want to read it more. “It makes me more interested in knowing the content in it and why people would want to ban that,” Thibodeau said. She is a firm believer that books are a necessary form of expression, especially for teenagers. 

Thibodeau shared that she has read Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a book on the banned list due to its references to mental health, sexual abuse, and its LGBTQIA+ themes. Contrary to popular belief, she believes that these themes are important for teenagers to read about so they can learn other perspectives of life. Thibodeau said, “A lot of the books that people want to ban are limiting how teenagers could look at a certain subject…but it’s good for teenagers to know that stuff like that happens.” 

Most importantly, it is vital to remember that books are a necessity when it comes to learning about the past. Thibodeau said, “You need to learn about history so that you don’t repeat it.”