The reported resurgence of book banning in 2022 has reintroduced irritation to library staff. Librarian assistants from the Dobbs Ferry Campus didn’t observe this outrage with how the campus library operated differently from the affected public libraries and lower grade schools but responded with their own outrage.

Unlike public library staff, the librarian assistants haven’t faced the threat of legal action, violence, or harassment. They are excluded from having to sit down with people to have them actually review the material. That determination professional librarians display is not received well, with their safety and job security not being certain. Their place of employment could be where they’ve been served legally.

Excessive was the common word to describe the number of challenges the American Library Association listed recently. The idea of thousands of attempts at restrictions and success in some areas seemed like a loss of freedom to them. That there should be laws of literacy in place. They know people will take a stand against these control methods against certain speech, even if it is fictional.

For twenty years, the ALA has kept an up-to-date record of attempted restriction and book banning, and today authors fear the absurdity of a nation that will continue to ban books. It’s not fear of their written work being forgotten or inaccessible it’s fear of different ways of thinking and ideas in our country. A nightmare multiple authors share is a library that’s been drastically cut down. There could be a debate about authors trying to make a difference and have people actually read their books.

Individual books used to be banned, but now it’s a compilation of multiple books. The contained complaints of organized groups can be nationwide. Self-described as righteous and described by others as misguided mom’s groups or others with an agenda.

The boost of book banning is not base-breaking they do touch upon the same issues, albeit on different sides of it. Liberals have tried for decades for books to be banned because of the outdated offensive language despite what the books could be outside of that. The most infamous work known for being banned was Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.’ But people are willing to recognize that it’s not simply a product of its time. It’s worse for books where the author has passed on, and there might not be estate to argue in their defense. They can’t go to social media for calls to action. Allegedly certain books like The Catcher in the Rye” are unsuitable even if they are considered classics common in schools. And by today’s standards, certain excerpts aren’t as explicit as they used to be.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is recommended today because of its themes and character development. Conservatives would dismiss books on excuses of indoctrination for unnecessary censorship and, in the aftermath, remark that their efforts didn’t exist. Those efforts affect books tackling people of color and the LGBTIQA+ community. They may be the other side, but they are the majority behind the book bannings, librarians assumed and reported this fact. Books can go from platforms tackling serious themes to becoming platforms for someone else’s cause.

The Dobbs Ferry Library Circulation desk staff also described the action as exhausting and pointless, even if they were unfamiliar with the concept. Reviewing certain works to ensure they’re suitable for younger readers is acceptable, but another scrutiny isn’t necessary. One describes how ridiculous for people to act out of concept without knowing the full context. This was Jessica Alicea, who cared to comment with her name included. Her coworker agreed with her words but preferred to be on the record without mentioning her name. They did cape to express their mutual amusement and disappointment in the book banning.

It’s judging a book by certain characteristics is as shallow as judging it by its cover. Her logic was that if a book was banned in one location if it’s taboo, it could motivate a student to find it elsewhere or when they are older. That parent should research the material in depth before making any judgment or boundary between the book and their child. Like how parents review the parental guidance in other forms of media before letting their children view it.