Occasionally, the Herald’s editorial board has a mea culpa to share. This one belongs to the libraries and librarians left out of the editorial about Banned Books Week (Herald, Oct. 22). La Plata County’s literary landscape extends far beyond the Durango Public Library, encompassing a network of school, community, college and special district libraries that sustain the county’s culture of reading and access to ideas.
In follow-up conversations, directors from the Pine River Library in Bayfield, the Ignacio Community Library and the Southwest La Plata Library District described how they uphold the freedom to read. Both Pine River Library and Ignacio Community Library recognized Banned Books Week. Pine River Director Brenda Marshall, who grew up in the United Kingdom and became a U.S. citizen as an adult, said studying the Constitution deepened her respect for its protections. “Book banning or censorship is in direct opposition to the First Amendment and our freedom to read,” she said. “People may choose not to read certain books, but they do not want others restricting their access.”
In Ignacio, Director Marcia Vining emphasized inclusion: “There are no groups of people that should be left out of library materials. Everyone deserves to see themselves in books.”
At the heart of every debate over banned books is a deeper truth: libraries shape how young people learn empathy, curiosity, and critical thought – the foundation of an informed, democratic society.
Rebecca Benally, director of the Southwest La Plata Library District – a stand-alone district created in 2019 to preserve the Florida Mesa and Sunnyside Elementary libraries through a public – school partnership – said her libraries strive to remain “welcoming places for everyone.” Florida Mesa observed Banned Books Week; Sunnyside did not, reflecting different community approaches.
La Plata County now counts more than a dozen libraries and learning spaces – including school libraries and media centers, community and special district libraries, college libraries such as Fort Lewis College’s Reed Library, and Maria’s Literary Foundation’s nonprofit reading room – all contributing to literacy, inclusion, and open access. Reed Library also recognized Banned Books Week, linking higher education to the same values of intellectual freedom upheld throughout the county. All La Plata County libraries maintain written collection policies that guide how materials are selected, reviewed, and reconsidered. Several were recently updated to reflect community priorities and to align with Senate Bill 25-63, the state law signed by Gov. Jared Polis in May that sets clear, transparent standards for library material selection and review.
The law was prompted by a wave of book challenges across Colorado – from the Western Slope’s Mesa and Garfield counties to the Eastern Plains community of Elizabeth. In Garfield County, commissioners sought to influence library governance and restrict materials, but the library board ultimately voted against limiting access. In Mesa County, similar pressure met resistance from librarians committed to open collections. And in Elizabeth, a federal judge ordered 19 removed titles – most by or about LGBTQ+ people and people of color – returned to school shelves, ruling the bans unconstitutional.
Colorado communities, including those in La Plata County, continue to demonstrate that intellectual freedom endures best when diversity of thought is met with trust in readers. The freedom to read remains, always, the freedom to think.
