AAU Library Blog

CELEBRATE FREADOM!

Banned Books Week is a national event held annually during the last week of September, which celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. According to the American Library Association (ALA) Website, the purpose of Banned Books Week is to “celebrate the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.”

This yearly event not only reminds us of the importance of ensuring the availability of all viewpoints through free and open access to information, but also draws attention to the dangers of censorship by highlighting the banning and challenging of books within the United States.

What is the difference between a challenge and a banning?

A challenge is an actual attempt to remove or restrict materials with the intention to protect others, frequently children, from particular ideas and information, while a banning is the physical removal of those materials.

The following are the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom:

1. The material was considered to be “sexually explicit”
2. The material contained “offensive language”
3. The material was “unsuited to any age group”

Challenges are not just an expression of a point of view; they are a formal attempt to prohibit the free access of information.  When challenged books are not banned, it is a direct result of the actions and commitment of concerned members of every community.

Want to get involved? Check out the Banned Books Week Website for ideas and resources:

http://bannedbooksweek.org/support.html

Please also visit the following links to learn more about Banned Books Week and intellectual freedom:

ALA’s Banned Books Week Webpage

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom Webpage

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/index.cfm