Each September, libraries observe Banned Books Week to draw attention to attempts to remove titles from public library shelves or censor books from school curricula and school libraries. For 2022, with book bans and challenges on the rise in the U.S., the Kansas City Public Library organized an informational campaign that included a public program featuring a panel of local librarians, media outreach, and social media promotions.
The keystone of the campaign was a concept which I championed and oversaw production: An installation on the Library’s Community Bookshelf Parking Garage, a local landmark to the west of the downtown Central Library that depicts a nearly 26-foot-high shelf of books with 42 titles – 14 of which have been banned or challenged at some point. As a way of bringing high visibility to Banned Books Week, I proposed installing two large banners on the notable structure, including one that visually illustrates which of the classics featured on the Community Bookshelf are regularly under threat.
I oversaw the creative direction, communications planning, and physical production of the installation, which involved tag-teaming pieces of the design and consulting with our sign vendor on material, methods of fastening the final products.
The larger top banner, which I designed, made use of a yellow-black color scheme of caution tape/hazard signage to catch the eyes of passers-by. I selected a quote from the author Stephen Chbosky that spoke to the issue of censorship: "Banning books gives us silence when we need speech." The large size (332”w x 170”h) and the airflow from the open areas of the garage required use of a mesh fabric to allow proper airflow and prevent the banner from being damaged by any strong winds.
For the ground-level banner, I provided creative direction for my colleague who produced a design using the illustrated books and their titles/labels. This one was sized specifically to fit a small niche in the front of the garage (204”w x 98”h); with its easier access to the street and sidewalk, we wanted this piece to encourage more direct engagement from pedestrians walking by. Each challenged or banned title is noted with an "X" on top of the book spine, and the titles are matched with number labels. We also included a QR code that linked to a Banned Books Week overview page on the KC Library's website, which included a collection of these books and others on the most-challenged list, and links to each in the Library's online catalog. The webpage also featured additional resources and information about Banned Books Week.
Media Coverage
The installation garnered coverage from several local media outlets, including several live on-site interviews with Library spokespersons during TV stations' morning programming throughout Banned Books Week. Between print, radio, and TV, the Library's media monitoring service estimated an audience reach of more than 207,000 impressions with airtime valued at over $57,000.
Social Media Engagement
The project was also noticed and shared on local social media; part of the planning for the campaign was to leverage the popularity of the Community Bookshelf, especially since the garage is a regularly-photographed landmark. Library promotions of the campaign also performed well, and had high levels of engagement online; between the Library's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, the primary posts had a reach of over 14,000, with approximately 2,000 engagements.
