As a school librarian, I was dismayed to read misinformation about the “silver lining of book bans” in the Tribune’s March 24 editorial. To quote the editors, “A powerful and humane book that might otherwise gather dust on the shelves of a school library (Do most kids even go to their school library anymore?) may now receive a lot of attention and find a new audience among thinking people who will now seek it out.”
First, yes, students come to the school library. The library is a vibrant, active part of our campus. Moreover, it’s a safe space for students who need the kind of empathy that our state’s book bans seek to destroy.
Second, your claim that banning books leads students to seek them out elsewhere ignores that, for many students, the school library is the only place they can go for books. Public libraries are too far, or require applications and documentation the student doesn’t have. Bookstores (yes, even Amazon) are beyond their financial reach.
Moreover, it is not borne out by sales data. Kyle Lukoff, the author of “Call Me Max,” which gained notoriety in Utah after it was read out loud in an elementary school, reported to CNN in October that he still hasn’t earned back his modest advance for the book. “If your book is kept out of libraries and schools in entire states — that does translate to a long-term consistent drop in sales.” His is just one example of many.
As grateful as I am to see the editorial board highlighting the harmful effects of Utah’s book banning bills, it is imperative that we stop perpetuating harmful myths about book bans and start focusing on hard facts. Book banning has no silver lining.
Carolyn Martinez-Ross, Millcreek