Rockford Public Library embraces what was once banned in weeklong exhibit

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new exhibit at the Rockford Public Library embraces the controversial, prominently displaying a collection of 11 books published over the course of 113 years that all share a common thread: They’ve been banned at one time or another.

The exhibit, which comes from the personal collection of Maze Books owner David Pedersen, is on display in celebration of Banned Books Week. The national weeklong event was created in 1982 in response to surges in book bans, and it’s intended to promote open and unfettered access to information.

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The display is on the third floor terrace gallery of the main library, 215 N. Wyman St., and it showcases vintage prints of commonly challenged or banned books. For example, there is a copy of Henry Miller’s “Tropic of Capricorn” from 1954 that was printed in France during the U.S. ban, which was lifted in 1961.

“This could have been smuggled, because this was printed in 1954 in France when it was banned in America,” Pedersen said. “It’s possible — I like to tell myself there was an underground Henry Miller ring going on.”

It’s also filled with classics including George Orwell’s “1984,” which Pedersen noted faced bans for being both anti-communist and pro-communist, depending on where it was being sold. There is also “Grapes of Wrath,” “A Clockwork Orange,” and “Fahrenheit 451,” among other titles.

“That’s the problem with book bans, pretty much any good book has been challenged or banned,” Pedersen said.

Pedersen kicked off the exhibit with a presentation called “Silenced Stories: The Hidden Cost of Book Banning.” More than two dozen people attended the lunch-hour event, which was centered on the dangers of banning literature.

“If you want to know what is the hidden cost of book bans — it’s ignorance,” Pedersen said. “What we’re seeing is people jumping to conclusions about something because they simply read a headline.”

The oldest book in the collection is “The Jungle,” Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel that is credited with exposing poor working conditions in the meat-packing industry.

The latest is “Gender Queer,” 2019 memoir by Maia Kobabe that explores gender identity and sexuality. It has been criticized as pornographic and banned for its sexual illustrations, which those seeking to ban the book say shouldn’t be able to be easily accessed by children.

It was the most banned book of 2023, according to the American Library Association. Locally, the book was removed from the Harlem School District library after a board vote in 2022. Those who support its place in libraries say it can be an important title to help promote understanding around gender identity.

“It is absolutely not pornography, it is their journey,” Pedersen said. “To call somebody’s journey and private sharing of what their life’s really liked — extremely vulnerable — pornography is atrocious. That’s what we’re fighting against.”

The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship in 2023. There were also 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials and resources last year, the organization said.

Challenges at the Rockford Public Library are rare, according to Lorene Kennard, information services manager.

“From the library’s perspective, we want everyone to have access to everything,” Kennard said. “We want to make sure everybody knows that they have a say in what they read.”

A person who wants to challenge a book must fill out a challenge form detailing their reasoning. That is then submitted to library leadership for consideration.

Books are chosen for the library’s shelves based on the collection development policy approved by the board of trustees. Master librarians then follow that policy to curate the selection in the stacks.

“We do make thoughtful decisions when we purchase books and materials. We want people to be able to try new things that they maybe haven’t read before,” Kennard said. “There’s no judgement. … Everyone can come in and read anything they want. It’s up to them to decide what to read.”

Lara Griffin, marketing assistant for the Rockford Public Library, said the exhibit sets out to show what censorship looks like from different eras.

She said the library wants to make sure that people have access to the books they want or need. But no one is forced to read a title they disagree with or dislike.

“We have books here for everyone,” Griffin said. “We’re reaching the whole community.”

Exhibit | Banned Books: The Pedersen Collection

When: Monday, Sept. 23 through Friday, Sept. 27 during regular library hours

Where: Rockford Public Library, 215 N. Wyman St., third floor terrace gallery

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas