“Read a banned book and help celebrate how lucky every Californian is to have free and open access to information and ideas,” the Lompoc Public Library advocates.

Oct. 5-11 is Banned Books Week, an annual reminder of how censorship divides us and how libraries bring us together.

Efforts to censor books in schools and libraries have been around for a long time. Among the targeted are “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Catcher in the Rye,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “1984,” “The Kite Runner,” and the “Goosebumps” and “Harry Potter” series.

In 2024, 2,452 individual book titles were challenged in the United States. That is considerably more than the annual average of 273 from 2001-20, the library reports.

“The Lompoc Library staff work hard to provide our community a wide range of items to choose from because everyone who comes through our doors or visits online has their own interests and subjects they want to pursue,” said Sarah Bleyl, library director.

“By having a diverse collection, we meet our community’s needs and give people the opportunity to choose the materials that interest them,” she said.

“It seems silly someone would want to ban some of the older books, just like today’s book challenges are going to seem silly to future generations. But there is nothing funny about censorship,” said Greg Lucas, California state librarian.

“California libraries and librarians curate diverse collections of materials that reflect the unique diversity of California’s communities and ensure that Californians can read what they want, when and where they want to read it — online or in person,” Lucas said.

Lompoc Library offers as wide as possible a variety of reading and learning opportunities for all ages, from borrowing books, eBooks, and audiobooks to attending a book club or children’s story time, the city said.

“Whether you’re working on your job skills, English proficiency, a hobby, or trying to instill a love of reading in your child, our materials are always available for free to everyone. All you need is a library card,” the city said.

Last year, Lompoc’s libraries were visited more than 150,000 times and hosted 433 programs for community members of all ages, which 28,893 people attended.

The community read almost 500,000 minutes during this summer’s annual reading program, an increase of 35% over last year.