Kathleen Parker’s Sept. 22 Thursday Opinion column, “The book-burning crowd is back. Resist them.,” commended the American Library Association for declaring this past week “Banned Books Week.” I learned about this celebratory week in a recent email from Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh to library patrons that included the following paragraph:
Opinion | Books can be offensive. That’s how it should be.
“Books are transformational. They challenge our beliefs and biases, expose us to different experiences and cultures. They help us learn to think for ourselves and not follow the group think of public opinion. Yes, they can be dangerous and offensive. And that is how it should be. Indeed, there is a book in every library that offends someone somewhere. And if there isn’t, librarians are not doing their jobs.”
Ms. Kresh suggested that residents become informed on the subject, commit to reading at least one banned book and to ask their children to read one. I couldn’t say it any better, so I won’t try. I am proud to be an Arlington resident with a library director who serves our community thoughtfully and fearlessly.
