Waiting for a flight at LAX? You might be able to read a banned book

LAX is 'the perfect location to reach millions with this message,' said Alexia Valencia, a spokesperson for L.A. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who introduced the proposal to the City Council this year. 'L.A. is the place where people can come and have access to those ideas and books. This is what L.A. is all about.'

Encouraging travelers to read a banned book may seem a minor skirmish in the broader culture wars. But proponents of free access to literature see programs like the LAX one - and Banned Books Week, celebrated from Sept. 22 to 28 - as a counterattack on efforts to ban books for reasons including their treatment of sexuality, race, violence or the occult.

If the proposal gets final approval from the L.A. City Council on Tuesday, screens throughout the airport will soon invite people to read a banned book by using a QR code to get a temporary library card, which can be issued to anyone, regardless of where they live.

The card will give the reader access to bestsellers as well as books that have been taken off shelves elsewhere in the country, such as Toni Morrison's novel 'The Bluest Eye' and the graphic novel 'Let's Talk about It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human.'

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