“Think for yourself, and let others do the same,” exhorts the American Library Association poster for the 2014 Banned Books Week.

Even though the annual Banned Book Week, September 21–27, is over this year, protecting every person’s freedom to read what he or she prefers is a year around job for librarians. Endorsed by Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, and sponsored by the American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and numerous other literary organizations, Banned Books Week was created 32 years ago, when challenges to books in libraries, schools, and bookstores had a sudden uptick in numbers.

According to the American Library Association, at least 11,300 books have been challenged since then, for a variety of reasons that range from “unsuited for age group” (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, for example) to reasons more surprising (from Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic collection of poems, “How Not To Have To Dry The Dishes” promotes disrespect; Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potte, portrayed only “middle class rabbits”).

The recent displays of books that have been banned somewhere, at some time, and set up on the main floor and in the young adult sections of the library last week served as great conversation starters, said the librarians at C.H. Booth Library.

“It’s great to see the interest in the banned book displays. It makes people feel books are more precious,” said C.H. Booth Library Director Brenda McKinley. Many people were shocked to see some of their favorite books, or favorite childhood books, included in the display.

“Fortunately,” said Ms McKinley, “we live in a town where people are not asking for books to be banned. I can think of very, very few times people have asked to have a book pulled from the shelves. Newtown loves its freedom to read.”

Beryl Harrison, the former acting director of the library, was in agreement, saying she could recall only twice in 25 years that people asked the library to consider banning a book, both times for personal reasons.

“I’ve had one formal complaint in 18 years,” said Children’s Librarian Lana Bennison, concerning the age appropriateness of a book.

“I do get the Harry Potter and the witchcraft connection concerns,” Kim Weber, young adult librarian, said, “but only in conversations.”

Librarians at C.H. Booth Library respect those concerns, said the department heads, seeking to find out what the objection might be. That said, in recent memory, a book has never been pulled from the shelves in response to a challenge.

“We have a process and a form people can fill out that gives us details. Most times,” said Ms McKinley, “People won’t want [the book] taken off the shelf, but might ask us to put a warning sticker on it. We don’t do that, either. It’s up to a person to decide for him or herself if [a book] is appropriate.”

In the Children’s Department, Ms Bennison will look over the questioned book and decide if the book falls outside of the “cusp area” between children’s and young adult selections. There may be times when she decides a book could go upstairs to the young adult department, which services primarily young people in grades 5 through 12. In other instances, she is not opposed to giving parents a heads up, if the book contains sensitive subject matter.

“We expect parents will monitor their children’s choices, though,” she said, and added, “It’s not a small thing to actually request a book to be removed.”

“We are proud that we are a very active and open library,” Ms Weber said. “Kids will come in here and find things they won’t in school libraries,” she pointed out. That is because the young adult department carries books for a greater range of ages than school libraries do, so precocious younger readers may venture into subject areas usually of greater interest to older readers. Books on controversial subjects can be a source of family conversations, she said.

Books have the ability to evoke many emotions, said Ms McKinley, and affect different people in different ways. They are not added willy-nilly to the library collection.

“We have a book selection policy, and each department head selects books to purchase,” Ms McKinley said. How a book can add to the library’s collection, meant to provide a broad range of books that interest the broad range of patrons, is given consideration.

“Always, we consider the quality of the books, in the selection process,” Ms Bennison added.

C.H. Booth librarians are happy to listen to concerns and be supportive, understanding that “absolutely not all books are right for everyone,” Ms Weber said. Literature is powerful, and she understands that young adult selections, in particular, often deal with difficult topics. It does not mean that a book needs to be pulled from the shelf. “We support and defend the freedom to read,” she emphasized.

When the information is dated and inaccurate, or if a book sits unread, taking up shelf space, it may be culled from the collection.

A book that is well loved and checked out over and over again can find itself taken off the shelf, too — but not because of its content.

“Our favorite reason to take a book off the shelf,” said Ms McKinley, “is because it is falling apart.”