Banned Books Display: Addressing both sides & encouraging student voice

As a school librarian, it's super important for me to mark the American Library Association's Banned Books Week (this year, it's Sept 18 - 24). As long as I've been a school librarian, I've included a Banned Books display in my library. In the past, the stakes felt low, and I didn't worry that it would cause any kind of controversy.

And things have changed.

Now that book banning is MUCH more prevalent, and considered by many to be both a controversial issue and a highly politicized issue, I'm VERY careful to ensure my display is informational and allows lots of room for students to draw their OWN conclusions about the topic. (This aligns with my district's school board policy on teaching controversial issues.)

To do this, I use the display to incorporate three reasons why people support book banning AND three reasons why people oppose book banning. I provide students with paper and pens, and encourage them to reflect on their opinions about the topic. There's a large bulletin board (labeled "Hot Takes") just to the left of the display, where students can post their thoughts and contribute to the conversation. As a side benefit, this also plays right into my eternal mission to encourage student voice in the library!


If you'd like to use my resources to create your own display, you can find them at this link on Teachers Pay Teachers.

What's your Banned Books Week display/bulletin board looking like this year? I'd love to hear what you're doing, especially if it's different than what you've done in the past.


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