From September 24th through September 30th is Banned Books Week, the American Library Association's celebration of the freedom to read. Banned Books Week has special significance to me because my own high school banned books while I was a student there, and this became the 1982 Supreme Court case Island Trees School District v. Pico.
Did you know that books are still being banned today? According to the ALA website, "Five of the 10 titles on the Top Ten list were removed from the location where the challenge took place. On average, OIF (Office of Intellectual Freedom) finds that 10% of challenges result in the removal of the book."
Did you know that books are still being banned today? According to the ALA website, "Five of the 10 titles on the Top Ten list were removed from the location where the challenge took place. On average, OIF (Office of Intellectual Freedom) finds that 10% of challenges result in the removal of the book."
Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, ala.org/bbooks/NLW-Top10
Some terminology from ALA: "A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice."
For more information about Banned Books Week, visit ALA's website.
American Library Association, ala.org/bbooks/NLW-Top10
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