{"id":75787,"date":"2025-08-11T23:18:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/75787\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T23:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T23:18:14","slug":"san-diegos-strong-support-for-libraries-is-vital-amid-growing-book-bans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/75787\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego’s strong support for libraries is vital amid growing book bans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"library\"<\/a>Patrons in a library in San Diego County. (File photo courtesy of County News Center)<\/p>\n

The recent opening of San Diego\u2019s 36th library branch<\/a> in Pacific Highlands Ranch, alongside the continued success of the downtown Central Library, proves that the public still values open, inclusive spaces for learning and civic life.<\/p>\n

\"Opinion<\/a><\/p>\n

As Mayor Todd Gloria noted at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, \u201cIt\u2019s the 21st century. Why do we even need libraries? Look at this crowd. The public demands libraries. We want libraries. They\u2019re critical pieces of neighborhood infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the same spirit, San Diego has so far avoided the wave of book bans sweeping other parts of the country. But the threat is real \u2014 and growing.<\/p>\n

According to PEN America<\/a>, more than\u00a010,000 book bans\u00a0have occurred across the U.S. in the past two years alone, affecting\u00a0over 4,000 different titles. Nearly half of those occurred in Florida, with another third in Iowa.<\/p>\n

And the numbers are rising. During the 2023\u20132024 school year, efforts to restrict reading materials have intensified, with increasing pressure on school boards, librarians, and educators to remove books labeled \u201ccontroversial\u201d by a vocal minority.<\/p>\n

What books are being targeted? Some of the most influential and enduring works of modern literature: George Orwell\u2019s\u00a01984, Maya Angelou\u2019s\u00a0I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Harper Lee\u2019s\u00a0To Kill a Mockingbird, Toni Morrison\u2019s\u00a0The Bluest Eye, and Alison Bechdel\u2019s\u00a0Gender Queer: A Memoir\u00a0have all faced bans. Recently, Maya Angelou\u2019s\u00a0I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings\u00a0was reportedly among 381 titles removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library at the direction of the Department of Defense. Some speculate it was due to references to racism and the Holocaust.<\/p>\n

To ban such books \u2014 works of truth, art, and lived experience \u2014 is not an act of protection. It is an act of fear. It denies readers access to literature that fosters empathy, challenges assumptions, and expands understanding.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not freedom. It\u2019s censorship disguised as moral concern.<\/p>\n

Across the country, libraries \u2014 long seen as sanctuaries of free expression and civic learning\u2014are under siege. The reasons cited for banning books vary: depictions of sexual identity, racial history, violence, or so-called \u201cinappropriate\u201d language. But the result is the same: narrowing perspectives, silencing voices, and suppressing thought.<\/p>\n

Yet amid this crisis, there is hope.<\/p>\n

In cities like San Diego, we are seeing a more inclusive and future-facing vision for libraries take hold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Modern libraries are no longer just repositories of books. They are civic hubs for innovation, equity, and lifelong learning. San Diego\u2019s newest library is fully electric, equipped with EV charging stations, and designed with sustainability in mind \u2014 a library for the 21st century and a model for cities to follow.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s libraries offer far more than shelves of books: digital archives, media studios, online learning platforms, resume assistance, job training, entrepreneurship resources, and workshops on everything from coding to climate literacy.<\/p>\n

Years ago, more than 250 libraries around the world joined a movement called\u00a0Outside the Lines, reimagining how communities see their local branches. The message was clear: libraries aren\u2019t about the past. They are engines of creativity, connection, and transformation.<\/p>\n

At the heart of this transformation are librarians. In an age of disinformation, they are essential guides \u2014 helping people think critically and find credible sources.<\/p>\n

As one observer put it:\u00a0\u201cUsing the internet to answer a question is like drinking from a fire hose. Librarians turn that fire hose into a drinking fountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

As schools adapt to teach 21st-century skills \u2014 creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking \u2014 we must remember: most lifelong learning happens outside formal education. Libraries serve as bridges between school and society, offering access to knowledge for people of all ages and backgrounds.<\/p>\n

Kathy Dempsey, a national library advocate, put it simply:\u00a0\u201cLibraries are essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

They offer resume-building workshops, technology access, small business support, and even nature passes. In Colorado, libraries lend entry to state parks. In other regions, mobile branches bring books and services to train stations and bus stops. Arapahoe Library District\u2019s \u201cLunch and Learn\u201d events introduce patrons to emerging technologies like Google Glass and 3D printing.<\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t relics. They\u2019re blueprints for a smarter, more inclusive future.<\/p>\n

And at a time when democracy itself is being tested \u2014 when truth is under attack and trust in institutions is declining \u2014 libraries remain one of the last nonpartisan public spaces where all voices are welcome, and knowledge is available to all.<\/p>\n

As the wave of book bans continues to spread, we must ask ourselves:\u00a0What kind of society are we building?\u00a0If fear determines what we can read, discuss, or imagine, we risk raising a generation afraid of ideas, allergic to nuance, and vulnerable to misinformation. Supporting libraries isn\u2019t just about books. It\u2019s about defending democracy, equity, and imagination.<\/p>\n

Yes, federal funding matters. Agencies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services<\/a> used to provide vital support. But the deeper truth is this:\u00a0libraries thrive because communities believe in them.<\/p>\n

They survive \u2014 and evolve \u2014 because people demand access to truth, diversity, and opportunity. Now is the time to act. To defend our libraries. To resist censorship. To stand up for intellectual freedom.<\/p>\n

San Diego is showing what that looks like. The city has taken a bold step, encouraging young people to visit their local libraries and\u00a0ask for a banned book. The San Diego Public Library<\/a>\u2019s website reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe that some of America\u2019s youth are denied the right to read? Yeah, we couldn\u2019t either! So, guess what we\u2019re going to do about it? We believe in your right to read what you want, discover yourself, and form your own opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the spirit of a free society. That\u2019s the promise of a public library.<\/p>\n

John Eger\u00a0is professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University. He previously served as telecommunications advisor to President Gerald R. Ford, legal assistant to FCC Chairman Dean Burch, and senior vice president of CBS Worldwide Enterprises. He also chaired San Diego\u2019s City of the Future Committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Patrons in a library in San Diego County. (File photo courtesy of County News Center) The recent opening…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75788,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[23381,223,11587,88,38402,53800,8242,53801],"class_list":["post-75787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-books","tag-book-bans","tag-books","tag-censorship","tag-entertainment","tag-libraries","tag-pacific-highlands-ranch","tag-reading","tag-san-diego-public-library"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}