Chinook Library

The theme for Banned Books Week 2024(Sept 22-28) is “Freed Between the Lines.”

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. By focusing on efforts to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books and resources in 2023. The number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries. This tops the previous high from 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.

We can find freedom in the pages of a book — but book bans and censorship threaten that freedom, along with many other rights and institutions. During Banned Books Week 2024 and beyond, let’s share our love of the right to read and the freedom found in books. Let’s be Freed Between the Lines!

Celebrate Banned Books Week and Library Card Sign-up Month this September with Blaine County Library and the American Library Association! We’re inviting everyone to discover the incredible resources and opportunities available at your local library by signing up for a library card and using it! While you are here be sure to look at the Banned Books Display that Elle put together. Some of the titles may surprise you.

All youth programs resume this week. Teen Scene, for grades 7 through 12, will be on Mondays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. beginning September 16th. There will be karaoke, Wii, board games and other activities. Story Time, for preschool children, is Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Kids’ Zone is on Tuesday for grades 3 through 6 from 3:45-4:45 p.m. There will be crafts, coloring and other activities available. We are planning to continue having Homeschool Hour. The first program will be Wednesday September 18th at 1:00 p.m. The Blaine County Museum will be doing our first program. The purpose of this program is to provide a place where home school families gather and learn from each other. We have a sign-up sheet for families to host future programs. If we have a week with no host family, we won’t have a program that week. Thursdays will be LEGO Club from 3:45-4:45. Fridays we will show a family friendly movie from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Children under five may attend LEGO Club and movies, but they must be accompanied by an adult. We look forward to seeing everyone.

The library will be partnering with the Blaine County Museum to host a book club. The books will primarily be those written by Montana authors and/or those that take place in Montana. The plan is to have the first meeting in late September or early October. We are trying to get an idea of how many people would be interested in joining us, so if this is something you would like to participate in, let one of us know! You can call or stop into the museum or the library or send us a message on Facebook.