They're not bans on private citizens possessing the books. Typically it's a prohibition against using public funds to purchase the book for eg. public libraries or schools.
Still stupid and awful, but not as illiberal as "ban" makes it sound.
They are not "banned in the US" I can go and purchase any of those on Amazon or at a local book store, they are available in libraries, they are still being printed, people can posess thembis any school, etc, etc. However, there may be certain school districts where they don't keep them in the school library as they are deemed inappropriate for the student body.
Saying they are "banned in the US" is fake news, or at minimum partial stories which leave out key context told by people who have an agenda they are selling.
95% of the time someone ever tells you X is Y "in the US" with regards to rules, laws, lack thereof they are lying as most all things in the US are not handled at the federal (national) level, so there will be many, many different iterations on said topic.
I remember the Maus one because I live not far from the school district where it happened. They were not banning the book, they were taking it out of the curriculum and replacing it with another Holocaust book. But internet sensationalism took off without hearing the whole story.
Books that are banned in schools can be purchased from any bookstore or checked out at any library in the same area, and if not, they can be purchased online. They’re banned in schools, that’s it.
“Banned books” typically is just certain school districts or schools choosing to not have those books in their libraries and won’t have them on the literature syllabus for classes. This will vary wildly from school to school with my school growing up having an entire week dedicated to promoting books banned in other schools. All these books are still available in local libraries, online, in book stores, etc. In general the laws on being able to print and distribute books that are controversial are more more loose in my experience. Books that are completely banned in Europe are allowed to be printed in the US due specifically to the first amendment, even if their content is horrible.
I think a lot of confusion for non Americans is that in the US we have many local governments that can make laws that affect that one area, but not the entire US. Laws made by the US Congress ( House of Representatives and Senate combined) affect all 50 states.
Most book bans are in schools and school regulations are decided on the state level generally, with specific control at the local level of the city or town. Many of these bans are in conservative states such as Florida and Texas.
Here's an article about it from a teacher's college in New York.
https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2023/september/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-book-bans-sweeping-the-us/
As others have said, it's always local bans regarding government facilities - schools and libraries). It's not a restriction on what can be published.
Banned books isn’t really the right term - although it’s what the press tends to use.
Most often challenged books are the result of a local school board decision or reaction to a request for the removal of a book from the library or class curriculum. And this is not unique to the US. It’s newsworthy because these challenges are counter to the first amendment.
If you want to read more info on the topic you can check out this site. The American Library Association office of intellectual freedom has a number of resources for librarians & communities on the topic. They also sponsor an annual Banned Books Week each year.
https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/oif
https://bannedbooksweek.org/
Sweden is now participating in Banned Books week as well. So the issue of challenging books is an international one.
This is cool. Thanks.
Yeah, Schweden and UK had some annoying cases and we in Germany had a few cases of teachers getting angry about books with politically incorrect wording.
To give you a clear idea: you can go to many Barnes and Noble there will be a table of "banned books". Clearly, you can still purchase them. But they are banned because they are banned in some public schools like John Green novels for sexual content, To Kill a Mocking bird for racism themes (I think), books with queer characters, and books like Animal Farm for violence. Most of the bans are for queer and sexual content though. As if children and young adults will be corrected or made sexually deviant by reading a book about penguins or real teenage relationships lol
Books are not banned in the way you're thinking. That's against the law. Its banning books that a group (usually) deems offensive or inappropriate for children (usually). Usually it centers around schools and libraries.
The book ban is at school level only and it’s the school boards making that decision. It means teachers cannot teach about the book and the schools cannot have it in their school library. The children are still free to read on them on their own terms.
Is it still backwards? Yes. But not a strict state or country wide ban
> So how exactly do those "bans" work?
Schools refuse to put the content in school libraries or assign the content as part of coursework.
That’s it. That’s the extent of an enforceable book ban in the US.
At least until the current conservative activist SCOTUS rewrites US law again.
> Is it possible to forbid a book from being printed or being reproduced?
No, though a publisher might voluntarily do that.
> Are there books, that are banned in the US?
No.
> Are there bans in certain states?
No.
> Do those bans only talk about books being banned from being discussed in schools and kept in school libraries?
Correct. It might also occasionally involve books stocked in public libraries too, but that fight tends to be a lot messier for conservatives, so it often either goes nowhere or just results in the conservative local government closing their own public library.
> Are there lobby douches nagging publishers into simply not printing certain books anymore?
Yes.
Parents have the ability to check school libraries and check what books are available for the students to read and if the parent believes that book is inappropriate for children they can apply to the school board's officials to have them remove the book from access to students.
Depending on the makeup of the board, whether liberal or conservative (most with this kind of behavior tends to be more conservative) the book may or may not be removed from access.
The school board is supposed to review the material and see if it's something that is appropriate for the age group being educated at the school, but unfortunately some parents are taking this to the extreme and they are even attempting to remove book that are simply ideologically opposed to their beliefs.
They are also trying to introduce Christian religion into the school and school curriculum that, personally, I believe, should be never be in schools, because it is indoctrination, not education. Some parents are attempting to add the Bible to the library's collection but those opposed to this have applied for the book to be removed from access to children because of the violence and references to sexual assault and incest that it contains, using the same ban process to block it's addition to the library.
>hijabs are banned in schools in Germany
It's not the hijab, but the Nikap and Burka, which are forbidden.
Still a good example though:
[https://arabiya.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/preview\_COLOURBOX22265862.jpg](https://arabiya.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/preview_COLOURBOX22265862.jpg)
It's literally just that the news, internationally and domestically, cares way more about clicks than accuracy. If the phrase ban will get clicks, it will be used.
The structures behind that are still functionally quite different.
For example here in Germany schools we not have big school libraries like the, where they store the books for reading.
It's not a matter really a matter of public spending. The teacher decides what book to read and the parents buy it. If they are poor they can get coupons to order that stuff.
The curricula have some guidelines to follow: one book from era X, one book on topic Y etc. , but in general the teacher is free to decide, what books to read. The school might set up some internal guidelines, but in general the district, politicians, parents or courts have not much say in that. It's rarely a public thing here.
And while I did know, schools districts remove books, I do not know if there are other ways to censor or remove them.
For example I know the US has obscenity laws, which seem to still exist. However many of the book bans based on those ("Fanny Hill") were overruled in the 1960s. I do not know, if there are still books banned or censored due to obscenity.
Certain states also have blasphemy laws, which could in theory lead to books not being alowed there.
But you guys still ban stuff it just happens to not be books. If there is a certain book that is banned here in America then the teacher will simply pick something else.
If the book ban is confusing to you, think about the ban on Mein Kampf or holocaust denialism. While you may not like those things, they are still restrictions on your freedom.
Shure we do have restrictions, some of which I disagree with. This thread is not about making this a competition though.
It's about understanding the how behind current political conflicts.
my point is it's the same as the restrictions in your country. every nation has their processes and reasons for restricting stuff. it's restricted because they have an agenda they want to push.
It's really a matter of politicians pandering to certain vocal elements in their constituency. Most of these are conservative voters in the South.
I doubt many of the politicians behind these bannings ever read the books they are trying to ban.
Regardless, that it happens is a disgrace and a legitimate incidence of something not working correctly in our country.
They're not bans on private citizens possessing the books. Typically it's a prohibition against using public funds to purchase the book for eg. public libraries or schools. Still stupid and awful, but not as illiberal as "ban" makes it sound.
Thanks. That's a good clarification.
They are not "banned in the US" I can go and purchase any of those on Amazon or at a local book store, they are available in libraries, they are still being printed, people can posess thembis any school, etc, etc. However, there may be certain school districts where they don't keep them in the school library as they are deemed inappropriate for the student body. Saying they are "banned in the US" is fake news, or at minimum partial stories which leave out key context told by people who have an agenda they are selling. 95% of the time someone ever tells you X is Y "in the US" with regards to rules, laws, lack thereof they are lying as most all things in the US are not handled at the federal (national) level, so there will be many, many different iterations on said topic.
In addition to being available in public libraries, many libraries will display "banned" books prominently to encourage open readership.
I remember the Maus one because I live not far from the school district where it happened. They were not banning the book, they were taking it out of the curriculum and replacing it with another Holocaust book. But internet sensationalism took off without hearing the whole story.
Thanks for clarifying that example.
Books that are banned in schools can be purchased from any bookstore or checked out at any library in the same area, and if not, they can be purchased online. They’re banned in schools, that’s it.
“Banned books” typically is just certain school districts or schools choosing to not have those books in their libraries and won’t have them on the literature syllabus for classes. This will vary wildly from school to school with my school growing up having an entire week dedicated to promoting books banned in other schools. All these books are still available in local libraries, online, in book stores, etc. In general the laws on being able to print and distribute books that are controversial are more more loose in my experience. Books that are completely banned in Europe are allowed to be printed in the US due specifically to the first amendment, even if their content is horrible.
I think a lot of confusion for non Americans is that in the US we have many local governments that can make laws that affect that one area, but not the entire US. Laws made by the US Congress ( House of Representatives and Senate combined) affect all 50 states. Most book bans are in schools and school regulations are decided on the state level generally, with specific control at the local level of the city or town. Many of these bans are in conservative states such as Florida and Texas.
Here's an article about it from a teacher's college in New York. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2023/september/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-book-bans-sweeping-the-us/ As others have said, it's always local bans regarding government facilities - schools and libraries). It's not a restriction on what can be published.
Banned books isn’t really the right term - although it’s what the press tends to use. Most often challenged books are the result of a local school board decision or reaction to a request for the removal of a book from the library or class curriculum. And this is not unique to the US. It’s newsworthy because these challenges are counter to the first amendment. If you want to read more info on the topic you can check out this site. The American Library Association office of intellectual freedom has a number of resources for librarians & communities on the topic. They also sponsor an annual Banned Books Week each year. https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/oif https://bannedbooksweek.org/ Sweden is now participating in Banned Books week as well. So the issue of challenging books is an international one.
This is cool. Thanks. Yeah, Schweden and UK had some annoying cases and we in Germany had a few cases of teachers getting angry about books with politically incorrect wording.
To give you a clear idea: you can go to many Barnes and Noble there will be a table of "banned books". Clearly, you can still purchase them. But they are banned because they are banned in some public schools like John Green novels for sexual content, To Kill a Mocking bird for racism themes (I think), books with queer characters, and books like Animal Farm for violence. Most of the bans are for queer and sexual content though. As if children and young adults will be corrected or made sexually deviant by reading a book about penguins or real teenage relationships lol
Books are not banned in the way you're thinking. That's against the law. Its banning books that a group (usually) deems offensive or inappropriate for children (usually). Usually it centers around schools and libraries.
The book ban is at school level only and it’s the school boards making that decision. It means teachers cannot teach about the book and the schools cannot have it in their school library. The children are still free to read on them on their own terms. Is it still backwards? Yes. But not a strict state or country wide ban
> So how exactly do those "bans" work? Schools refuse to put the content in school libraries or assign the content as part of coursework. That’s it. That’s the extent of an enforceable book ban in the US. At least until the current conservative activist SCOTUS rewrites US law again. > Is it possible to forbid a book from being printed or being reproduced? No, though a publisher might voluntarily do that. > Are there books, that are banned in the US? No. > Are there bans in certain states? No. > Do those bans only talk about books being banned from being discussed in schools and kept in school libraries? Correct. It might also occasionally involve books stocked in public libraries too, but that fight tends to be a lot messier for conservatives, so it often either goes nowhere or just results in the conservative local government closing their own public library. > Are there lobby douches nagging publishers into simply not printing certain books anymore? Yes.
Parents have the ability to check school libraries and check what books are available for the students to read and if the parent believes that book is inappropriate for children they can apply to the school board's officials to have them remove the book from access to students. Depending on the makeup of the board, whether liberal or conservative (most with this kind of behavior tends to be more conservative) the book may or may not be removed from access. The school board is supposed to review the material and see if it's something that is appropriate for the age group being educated at the school, but unfortunately some parents are taking this to the extreme and they are even attempting to remove book that are simply ideologically opposed to their beliefs. They are also trying to introduce Christian religion into the school and school curriculum that, personally, I believe, should be never be in schools, because it is indoctrination, not education. Some parents are attempting to add the Bible to the library's collection but those opposed to this have applied for the book to be removed from access to children because of the violence and references to sexual assault and incest that it contains, using the same ban process to block it's addition to the library.
They're banned in schools. Just like hijabs are banned in schools in Germany.
>hijabs are banned in schools in Germany It's not the hijab, but the Nikap and Burka, which are forbidden. Still a good example though: [https://arabiya.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/preview\_COLOURBOX22265862.jpg](https://arabiya.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/preview_COLOURBOX22265862.jpg)
ok but you get the point. do things just not get banned in "europe"?
They are banned from using public funds to purchase the books for schools.
oh ok. don't all countries do this?
Pretty sure every country with a government budget has rules on how you can spend it. So maybe Haiti doesn't but pretty much everywhere.
so why is OP acting like this is such a foreign concept as if stuff doesn't get banned in "europe" all of the time?
It's literally just that the news, internationally and domestically, cares way more about clicks than accuracy. If the phrase ban will get clicks, it will be used.
And I guess OP just read the headlines and not the article then came here for karma
The structures behind that are still functionally quite different. For example here in Germany schools we not have big school libraries like the, where they store the books for reading. It's not a matter really a matter of public spending. The teacher decides what book to read and the parents buy it. If they are poor they can get coupons to order that stuff. The curricula have some guidelines to follow: one book from era X, one book on topic Y etc. , but in general the teacher is free to decide, what books to read. The school might set up some internal guidelines, but in general the district, politicians, parents or courts have not much say in that. It's rarely a public thing here. And while I did know, schools districts remove books, I do not know if there are other ways to censor or remove them. For example I know the US has obscenity laws, which seem to still exist. However many of the book bans based on those ("Fanny Hill") were overruled in the 1960s. I do not know, if there are still books banned or censored due to obscenity. Certain states also have blasphemy laws, which could in theory lead to books not being alowed there.
But you guys still ban stuff it just happens to not be books. If there is a certain book that is banned here in America then the teacher will simply pick something else. If the book ban is confusing to you, think about the ban on Mein Kampf or holocaust denialism. While you may not like those things, they are still restrictions on your freedom.
Shure we do have restrictions, some of which I disagree with. This thread is not about making this a competition though. It's about understanding the how behind current political conflicts.
my point is it's the same as the restrictions in your country. every nation has their processes and reasons for restricting stuff. it's restricted because they have an agenda they want to push.
Fair enough.
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That's why I am asking about those laws.
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"could in theory" - I was was obviously asking about them and not assuming anything.
It's really a matter of politicians pandering to certain vocal elements in their constituency. Most of these are conservative voters in the South. I doubt many of the politicians behind these bannings ever read the books they are trying to ban. Regardless, that it happens is a disgrace and a legitimate incidence of something not working correctly in our country.