Library News, Banned Books

Banning books, or even burning books like in the dystopian world imagined in Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Fahrenheit 451, is a practice which stretches back through history.  From the rule of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) where Confucian texts were destroyed, through to Nazi Germany, books have been targeted for different reasons.

As a booklover and librarian, I struggle to donate or discard books, let alone eradicate them.   In America, one particular library is working to fight the repression of books across the country.  Brooklyn Public Library has instituted a program offering free memberships to younger readers who live in areas impacted by book bans.  These patrons can then access the library's digital collection of resources.

If you want to have a look at some of the programs and services available from the Brooklyn Public Library, check out this link;

To find out more about the Qin Dynasty or learn about Ray Bradbury, have a look at some of the information available on Britannica School; 

Bauer, Pat. "Fahrenheit 451". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fahrenheit-451-novel-by-Bradbury. Accessed 10 May 2023.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Mao Chang". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Jul. 2005, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mao-Chang. Accessed 10 May 2023.