Banned Books
The meeting will be held on Sunday, September 22nd at 3 pm in Meeting Room B of the Main Public Library downtown (68 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC). Metered street parking is free on Sundays, and there is parking available in the garage under the library (garage closes at 5).
About the book:
For August we are having another Banned Books discussion. Both school and public libraries continue to be under assault from people who want to exert control over what material is available. In addition to local efforts, the SC legislature is working to take control over libraries. Here are some articles where you can read more about what is going on here in SC:
- “ACLU Sounds Alarm on Sweeping New Book Ban Law in South Carolina”
- “Two Vague and Dangerous Book Ban Bills in South Carolina Target Public and School Libraries”
- “Major Writers for Children and Young Adults Among Over 380 Authors Calling on South Carolina Lawmakers to Reject Restrictions to Evaluate Books in Public Schools”
Like we did last September, for our Banned Books discussion participants will choose their own banned book to read, then share with the group the book they chose, why it has been banned, and whatever else they want to say about the books. It is not hard to find lists of books that have been banned, but here are a couple from the American Library Association (ALA):
The ALA has a lot of great resources regarding book banning and how you can get involved in defending our libraries. They have also designated September 22-28th as Banned Book Week, so we can also discuss what we might do in support of that effort.
After the meeting we’ll go out for food and further conversation.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, SHL has funds available to ensure everyone feels welcome and able to participate. If you would like to participate in dining with us after book club but the cost presents a challenge, please email us at shl@lowcountryhumanists.org, and we can discreetly arrange to cover your costs.