DATE:
August 27, 2024
18
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
PROTECT THE FREEDOM OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS TO READ "CHALLENGED & BANNED BOOKS" AT THEIR LOCAL COUNTY LIBRARIES (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Over the last four years, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has stood as a steadfast guardian of our community's shared values and rights, such as reproductive freedom, declaring racism a public health crisis, and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community countywide. These actions reflect our collective commitment to equity, justice, and progress.
In recent years, a dangerous trend has emerged across the United States-a calculated effort by certain groups to censor books and suppress diverse voices under the guise of "protecting" society. This escalating movement to ban books poses a direct threat to our fundamental freedoms and undermines the principles of intellectual freedom. The latest challenge we face is an attempt to censor literature, and it is imperative to ensure that all 33 County of San Diego Libraries are safe havens where everyone in our communities can freely access challenged and banned books.
Book bans are not about shielding people from harm, they are about controlling the narrative. Certain groups have increasingly targeted literature that challenges their narrow worldview, particularly focusing on banning books that amplify the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA+ communities. The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom reported a staggering 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in 2023 alone. Nearly half of these books, 47%, explore themes central to the lived experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals. This is not a coincidence; it is a concerted effort to erase these voices from our public spaces.
For instance, in Florida, the Lake County School Board banned And Tango Makes Three, a story about two male penguins raising a chic...
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