When Book Bans Came to Small Town New Jersey

<p><i>This episode contains strong language. </i><br />In the contentious debate over who controls what happens in America’s schools, a new battleground has emerged: library books.</p><p>This is the story of what happened when parents in one town in New Jersey tried to remove a handful of books that they said were explicit and sexually inappropriate — and the battle that ensued.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/alexandra-alter?smid=pc-thedaily">Alexandra Alter</a>, a reporter covering publishing and the literary world for The New York Times. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>As highly visible and politicized book bans have exploded across the United States, librarians — accustomed to being seen as dedicated public servants in their communities — have<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/books/book-ban-librarians.html"> found themselves on the front lines of an acrimonious culture war</a>, with their careers and their personal reputations at risk.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>