In a world filled with months dedicated to celebrating a great variety of cultures and groups, it is particularly important that we not overlook Michigan Library Appreciation Month, which kicks off Oct. 1.
People are generally familiar with all the benefits public libraries provide the communities they serve. As the Michigan Library Association (MLA) notes on its website: “Libraries are where curiosity meets opportunity, where questions turn into discoveries, and where every Michigander can explore, learn, and connect with their community.”
That alone is more than enough reason to celebrate our libraries and vigorously support them. There is, though, at this moment in history, another reason to appreciate Michigan’s libraries and the people who staff them.
For the past several years, there’s been a nationwide effort to suppress knowledge by banning books in local public libraries and schools. Many of these challenges are focused on books that have LGBTQ+ themes and characters. Also frequently targeted are books that address systematic racism and historical injustices such as slavery and genocide.
“The reports from librarians and educators in the field make it clear that the organized campaigns to ban books aren’t over, and that we must all stand together to preserve our right to choose what we read,” observed Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “Each demand to ban a book is a demand to deny each person’s constitutionally protected right to choose and read books that raise important issues and lift up the voices of those who are often silenced.”
Librarians, along with groups like the ACLU, have been on the frontlines in fighting back against these attempts at censorship. The threat is so prevalent the ACLU of Michigan last year created an interactive map that tracks book bans and other forms of government censorship in our state. You can view that map here.
Support “Right to Read”
If you haven’t done so already, there is an easy and effective way to engage in the fight against censorship: Join “MI Right to Read”, a grassroots collection of concerned Michigan residents organized by the MLA.
The MLA explains its motivation for fighting book bans this way:
“Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession and a basic right in our democratic society. Our goal is to secure Michiganders’ right to read through proactive legislation that protects First Amendment rights and contest any legislation that infringes those rights, oppose attempts to ban books from Michigan libraries, educate the public about the right to read, and ensure that librarians across Michigan will be entrusted to continue to do their jobs and serve the needs of all individuals and communities.
“We believe that while a specific book may not be the right fit for one person, it may still be the perfect fit for another. No one individual or group should make sweeping decisions that take that process of careful consideration away from the experts and that choice away from readers.”
It is a widely shared belief. A poll commissioned by the MLA last year found that nearly 80% of the people surveyed said they approved of the work Michigan libraries are doing.
“In 2023, survey results affirmed that a strong majority of Michiganders support their public libraries and have no appetite for censorship,” stated Dillon Geshel, Interim Executive Director of MLA. “These new (2024 survey) findings point to increased support for public libraries and the freedom to read, and send a strong message to lawmakers, stakeholders, and library boards: Michiganders want their libraries to remain a gateway to knowledge for all, free of censorship.”
You can join the fight by going here and signing the MI Right to Read petition, which calls on Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature to defend the freedom to read, support library workers, and protect critical statewide library programs.