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Check Your Shelf

Banning Banned Books Week and More Library News

Katie McLain Horner

Contributing Editor

Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she's not at work, she's at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady

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Here’s some of the news that’s been going around Library Land recently.

Hurricane Helene Relief

Needless to say, one of the biggest news stories has been the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Helene across the southeastern United States, so people everywhere are looking for ways to step up. Booksellers are raising money and pulling together information resources for bookstores impacted by the hurricane, the American Library Association has issued a statement and a short list of action items to help libraries in the area, and Book Riot has also compiled a list of relief resources. So whether you’re looking for ways to donate money or volunteer your services, one of these resources can help.

From Love Notes to Sausage Slices

I don’t know if this technically counts as news, but the Washington Post profiled an exhibit at the Vienna Central Library in Austria, where library staff have spent over 20 years collecting the items that patrons have left behind in library books. Photos, prescriptions, receipts, and even a package of birth control pills have been used as bookmarks. In case you’re curious, the article says that the person who left behind a piece of sausage in a library book was promptly fined.

When Banned Books Week Is Banned

What happens when a library bans Banned Books Week? Well, if you’re Sierra Benjamin, a longtime staff member at the Flathead County Library (MT), you sit outside the library on your days off with a stack of banned books and a sign that says “Banned Books Week is BANNED in your public library!” The library director, Teri Dugan, said that Sierra is allowed to do what she likes in her free time, and that because the library has a number of materials that patrons can check out at any point, they “‘didn’t see a need to necessarily highlight [Banned Books Week].'” Well, maybe they should, because Flathead County has had a few issues with banned and challenged books over the last few years.