Protestors seek to draw attention to Banned Books Week following board decision

More than a dozen protestors gathered in front of the Kalispell branch of ImagineIF Libraries on Monday to protest the county library system’s decision to forgo celebrating Banned Books Week.

Banned Books Week runs Oct. 1 - 7 and seeks to draw awareness to the right to read, highlighting books that have been banned throughout the world. The ImagineIF Board of Trustees voted in December 2021 to distance the library system from the American Library Association, one of the largest promoters of Banned Books Week. Board Chair David Ingram said the recent decision to forgo the observance comes from that vote, adding that the week itself is too divisive and political.

Valeri McGarvey said Monday’s protest was loosely organized by herself and other community members concerned about the board’s decision. She’s been outspoken against other stances the board has taken in recent years, including book challenges brought by trustees before they were appointed to the board.

“I thought it was really ironic, especially calling it divisive, when they also tried to remove books from the collection — it just didn't make sense to me,” McGarvey said. “But I thought, you know, the community deserves to have a conversation about this; the community deserves to gather in any other way in celebration of the right to read.”

Protestors donned signs and carried copies of banned books, such as “Maus,” a graphic novel by Art Speigleman that depicts interviews with his father about his experiences as a Jewish man who survived the Holocaust. Brooke Mason carried a protest sign that said “I read ‘Maus’ at 10 years old.”

“That is how I learned about the Holocaust,” Mason said. “And I know, the subject matter might offend some people. But it inspired me to educate myself and conduct further research on the topic of the Holocaust and World War II.”

Bruce Bartlett held up a copy of “Ulysses” by James Joyce, a book that was banned in the United States during the 1920s and ʼ30s. He described the ImagineIF trustees’ decision to forgo Banned Books Week as verging on censorship.

“That's very troublesome. I'm a retired lawyer and the First Amendment was made the first amendment for a reason, Bartlett said. “I think it's terribly important that people have a panoply of choices when it comes to reading. And I don't see how they're hurt by those choices existing.”

Bartlett also held a sign featuring a political cartoon with a depiction of a “morality police” who removes the letters L, G, B, T and Q from the alphabet in a library setting. He said this is a nod to books featuring LGBTQ+ characters being some of the most challenged in recent years. The ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, which compiles a list of the most challenged books each year, ranked “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe as No. 1 for 2022 with 151 challenges across the U.S. “Gender Queer” was challenged by ImagineIF Board Vice Chair Carmen Cuthbertson before she was appointed to the board last summer.

“I have friends that are members of the LGBTQ community and I think more and more Americans are realizing now that they have relatives and friends that are [LGBTQ] and let them exercise their freedom. If they want to read things that you find offensive, how's that going to hurt you? If you can prove to me that it's actually hurting you, then we can talk,” Bartlett said.

Diane Taylor-Menke held a copy of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, which ranked No. 8 of the 13 most challenged books in 2022, according to the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. She also held a copy of the Bible, which has been on the most challenged books list in the past.

“It just shows the range that something offends everybody, you know, like she's holding ‘Charlotte's Web.’ What could you object to about ‘Charlotte's Web?’ Somebody did, but does that mean nobody should read it?” Taylor-Menke said.

She said pushing away the celebration of Banned Books Week drew more attention to its goals.

“If they had just been quiet, it would have been inside [the library], they would have put up some posters and passed out a couple of bookmarks — only the people that came to the library would know anything about it,” Taylor-Menke said. “Now, it’s been covered by two different publications here in the valley, and all the people driving by are seeing us and seeing the books.”

In addition to Monday’s protest, McGarvey said they called on other supporters to share their thoughts with Flathead County commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday morning. On Thursday, the group will be celebrating Banned Books Week and local librarians at Bias Brewing.

McGarvey said they asked supporters to go to their local branch on Friday to check out a book and thank a librarian. On Oct. 11, she said the group will participate in a “read-in” similar to a “sit-in” with participants reading library books.

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.