@ Your Library 9.30.21
by Beverly Ewart
Banned Books Week: September 26 – October 2
Last week I mentioned that we had some banned books on our shelves. This week, those books were pulled and placed in piles on our book display. We wanted to give you an idea of just how many books would be MISSING from the collection if the censors had their way.
Our display would host more titles, but they keep being checked out! Why don’t you come in and have a look? You might be surprised by some of the challenged titles, or you might find something challenging to check out for yourself.
Censorship is not a novel idea. Here are some titles that invite us to consider our own prejudices: Who should be silenced and who should be heard?
- Unsheltered: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver. How could two hardworking people do everything right in life, a woman asks, and end up destitute? Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsible parents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart… In another time, a troubled husband and public servant asks, How can a man tell the truth, and be reviled for it? A science teacher with a passion for honest investigation, Thatcher Greenwood finds himself under siege: his employer forbids him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin…Unsheltered is the compulsively readable story of two families, in two centuries, who live at the corner of Sixth and Plum in Vineland, New Jersey, navigating what seems to be the end of the world as they know it. With history as their tantalizing canvas, these characters paint a startlingly relevant portrait of life in precarious times when the foundations of the past have failed to prepare us for the future.
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires…The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning…along with the houses in which they were hidden. Guy Montag enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs nor the joy of watching pages consumed by flames…never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. Then he met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think…and Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do!
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; illustrations by Trudy White. Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel–a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
- The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey. Dorrie and her brother Marcus accidently open a portal to Petrarch’s Library where they discover a secret society of warrior librarians who travel in time, protecting the world’s greatest thinkers from torture and death for sharing knowledge and ideas.
Our hours:
- 9am – 6pm Monday through Friday
- 10am – 3pm on Saturdays
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS: Virtual Preschool Storytime happens Wednesdays at 10:30am. Join us!
PARDON OUR DUST: Our handicap-access ramp will be closed to the public for renovation until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we think you will appreciate the improvements!
MORLEY BRANCH is open! Come see us (don’t forget your mask). Our hours are: Tuesday 1pm-3pm; Wednesday 4pm-6pm; Thursday 10am-12pm. Masks are required. There is a computer available for your use, but it’s a good idea to call first to check on availability. Scheduled appointments are encouraged, but not required. Call for more details: 315-379-0066.
Rensselaer Falls:
Rensselaer Falls Branch is open on Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Masks are required, and those who are under age 12 must be with an adult.
Call the library (315-344-4155) for additional information.
A great way to find out what’s happening at our Morley and Rensselaer Falls Branches is to check out their Facebook pages:
Morley: https://www.facebook.com/MorleyBranchLibrary
Rensselaer Falls: https://www.facebook.com/RensselaerFallsLibrary
For more CFL news, stay tuned on Facebook, Instagram, or our website. Find new additions to our collection on our website: cantonfreelibrary.org. To renew your current checkouts, login to ncls.org; you may also renew via email at canlib@ncls.org, or by calling (315) 386-3712 (choose option 1, “For curbside service” on the menu – we continue to offer curbside service for your convenience).
Check out some controversial ideas @ your library!