Faced with acts of book banning in various parts of the U.S., the director of the Redwood City Public Library (RCPL), Derek Wolfgram, assured that censorship will have no place in this space, as all points of view are welcome.
In a letter, the official said that, in recent months, book bans have become alarmingly frequent in the country, while the texts that have been questioned and banned are mostly titles that explore historically marginalized populations.
"Censorship has no place in libraries and Redwood City Public Library welcomes all points of view in our collections," he stressed.
In fact, Wolfgram said, the Redwood City Public Library centers its service priorities around inclusive programs, services and books that lead to equitable outcomes for members of the diverse community it serves. "Our readers have the right to choose what they read, and we do everything we can to preserve that choice."
In this sense, he said that the space he directs focuses on sharing the pleasure of reading and learning.
He added that, part of the racial equity team's work in 2021, was to audit all library policies to ensure that they not only avoided inequitable approaches or discrimination, but proactively centered the experiences of historically marginalized populations.
He further stressed that one of the central philosophical foundations of any public library is its materials selection and maintenance policy, which sets the parameters of the items that belong to the library's collection.
"Recent revisions to RCPL's policy underscore our commitment to the free expression of ideas, even those that may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to others. Censorship undermines the ability of individuals or communities to engage with multiple perspectives. The Library, by contrast, celebrates the diversity of our community by providing materials and services that reflect and reinforce that diversity," Wolfgram said.
In light of this, I call on all those residents who oppose the banning of books and the silencing of voices, and want to know more about the issue, to read the American Library Association Statement on Censorship and to join the Campaign United Against Book Bans.
Another powerful act of resistance, he noted, "is to read 'banned' books."
The New York Public Library has recently launched its downloadable collection Books for Everyonewhich includes a small selection of commonly banned or challenged texts.
Wolfgram said the library has many reading lists that include "banned" books, including: Top Banned Books 2021, Building Tolerance, LGBTQ+ stories and anti-racism checklists for all ages on its page RCPL CARES.
Finally, he welcomed input from the community on what might be missing from his collection via the purchase suggestion form.
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