Raskin, Schatz Introduce Banned Books Week Resolution in Congress

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) this week introduced a resolution in Congress to mark Banned Books Week. Citing a host of supporting material, including book banning statistics tracked by PEN America, the resolution expresses concern “about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferating threats to freedom of expression in the United States.”

The resolution calls on local governments and school districts “to follow best practices and guidelines when addressing challenges to books,” as well as “to protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books, reflecting the full breath and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives.”

In a statement, PEN America thanked Raskin and Schatz (and the resolution’s co-sponsors) for their efforts. “The movement to ban books is an affront to public education and students’ ability to understand the world,” said PEN America’s congressional affairs lead, Laura Schroeder, in a statement. “Students are being deprived of stories that can help them deal with real lived experiences such as trauma and violence or even to see positive representations of themselves in their local school or library. This must end.”