Banned Books Week!

It's Banned Books Week! Every fall, people come together to celebrate the freedom to read. It is also to remind ourselves and others that books are still challenged and banned in many places and that the fight for that freedom is not over. Here in the library we have a display recognizing this. Come on by and see it!

Here is some information on Banned Books Week and what these words mean.

What is a challenge?

According to the American Library Association (ALA), "a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group."

What is a ban?

According to the ALA, "a banning is the removal of those materials."

What kinds of books are challenged and banned?

Check out the ALA's lists of the top ten most frequently challenged books by year here. You can also see a list of classic books that have been challenged.

Why do people try to ban books?

Usually people try to ban a book, or at least make them inaccessible to kids and/or teens, because they think that the book will be a bad influence because the content is in some way bad or dangerous. Many of the most common complaints suggest that the books contain violence, "inappropriate language", homosexuality, sex, anti-religious ideas, and/or racism/sexism. Many other reasons are also given. Different people have different perspectives on what is "appropriate" for kids and teens to read.

For more information, come on by or take a look at the American Library Association's webpage on the topic!

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." - American Library Association