"I know why the Caged bird sings" has been on a banned list for probably decades
well at least for a long long time! I have never actually read that one. I am surprised about "the Colour Purple". But that is more about abuse and slavery. I am not sure why they would consider that BAD. "The Golden Compass" was actually really good... now the books after that made the storey get a little weird but over all they are good stories.
As for Ideas, no, the ideas will never die even when the books are gone. I still laugh at those churchy people who think Harry Potter is trying to teach kids about the evils of satan and witchcraft. Being that I consider myself Pagan, or Wiccan, those people have NO CLUE what that religion or ideology is about. Plus: there is no satan in such religions. Only with Christianity and Satanism
Golden Compass does seem to paint the "church" in a bad light, but the church in there isn't realy going with "God" they are making their own rather bad choices to make them look horrible.
I guess I wonder why any Church woudl have hold over a library. I think libraries are WONDERFUL things. I used to spend a ton of time at the library growing up. I would help the school librarian on many occasions and I actully thought about being a Librarian at one point: Mostly because I LOVE BOOKS! Books open to new ideas, grow current ideas, and provide more information on old ideas.
As for the books about "Heather has two mommies" and such, those types of books will allow kids in those situations not to feel unloved or "abnormal". These books will also allow other children to think on such families as loving and accepting.
I guess I never understood why mainly the church and other religious orginzations often felt the need to oppress such thoughts and ideology.
I lost my other thought... i'm sick so it's getting in the way of my thought process...