JH Salon: Should any books be banned from libraries?

This month we will explore the question: **Should any books be banned from libraries?**

Libraries are public institutions of learning providing a broad range of reading materials and media. As such, there are materials that can be seen as controversial by some citizens and perfectly acceptable by others. Over time, there have been movements to remove books from libraries that some citizens think are unacceptable and bad. Those opposed, often contend that no books should be banned from libraries, that intellectual freedom is limited when any materials are removed.

Libraries certainly don’t contain all books and media, only select materials that are curated for the collection based on criteria set by the library and through careful selection by library staff. Librarians curate books suitable and often acceptable to their patrons, however, some have been pressured to respond to sources that not only don’t patronize the library but often have nothing to do with their communities.

Join us in-person on Sunday, July 13th from 3 – 5 pm to discuss this question. Those who join our meeting agree to adhere to the discussion ground rules listed below.

PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP on Meetup or email ASC@jeffersonhumanists.org so we are sure we set up enough seats and have enough refreshments.

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Since our JH Salon discussion topics can be controversial with many differing, strong opinions and viewpoints, we ask all attendees to adhere to the following discussion ground rules:

* Respect others and their opinions.
* Don’t come with a personal axe to grind
* Criticize ideas, not individuals.
* Don’t make personal attacks.
* Allow everyone the chance to speak.
* Don’t take things personally.
* Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others’ views.

The JH Salon will be held on the first Monday of every month.
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“THE AIM OF ARGUMENT, OR OF DISCUSSION, SHOULD NOT BE VICTORY, BUT PROGRESS.” ~ Joseph Joubert

ABOUT THE JH SALON

Much like the salons of France during the Enlightenment, we will discuss a variety of topics and lubricate the discussion with a few libations. Topics will be worded as questions and can be related to science, sociology, politics, philosophy, history, ethics and more. Attendees are not required to read anything in particular before the discussion, but it certainly helps to do some study before the discussion to be able to make a coherent argument and back it up.