OPINION: Support the freedom to read

The concept of freedom to read is more important than ever, with the increase in book challenges and bans happening nationwide and here in Alaska. What’s even more chilling is that some book bans are being used to silence diverse voices such as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors.

Kids need to read books that reflect themselves and the world we live in. Research shows that reading a broad range of books enriches children’s literacy, empathy and critical thinking. We need those abilities now more than ever.

Everyone has an equal right to access books in our libraries. A perfect book for your child may not be the perfect book for another child. But that doesn’t mean that the book should be taken away from your family. The better course is to make a variety of books available so both our families can choose what works for them.

We can compare a library to a grocery store. There are tons of food and other items in the grocery store. But the great thing is, we can pick and choose what we need. For example, some don’t do well with spicy food, so they don’t eat it. But they don’t object to the store carrying jalapeños, because other customers want to buy them. The library is like that. There are tons of books, and people can choose the ones they want to read.

This is a great time to say thank you to our local librarians in your school or public library. Some of them are being unfairly vilified for doing their jobs: meeting the needs and interests of their diverse communities for information and recreational reading. Look up Unite Against Book Bans (https://uniteagainstbookbans.org) or Authors Against Book Bans (https://authorsagainstbookbans.org) for more ideas on how to support the freedom to read.

Ann Dixon, Mareth Griffith, David James, Lynn Lovegreen and Cathy Pegau are members of the Alaska chapter of Authors Against Book Bans Alaska.

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