“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ― Ray Bradbury
‘The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them.’
‘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.’ Via ALA
“Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” —Article 3, Library Bill of Rights ‘Yearly Lists of Challenged and/or Banned Books’‘These brochures list books challenged, restricted, removed, or banned in that year as reported in the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Click on the links below to download a PDF of each list from 2004 to the current year. You can also purchase copies of the current list in the ALA Store within Campaigns > Banned Books Week.’ Via ALA
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2010-2011 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2009-2010 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2008-2009 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2007-2008 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2006-2007 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2005-2006 (PDF)
Books Challenged and/or Banned – 2004-2005 (PDF)
‘During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2011 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 24 through October 1. Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982. For more information on Banned Books Week, click here’
Banned Books Week is sponsored by: American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, PEN American Center
The Tattered Cover is one of Denver’s strongest advocates for literary freedom of expression. Their owner, Joyce Meskis, has become one of the country’s most pronounced voices for independent bookselling, rights of readers, literacy and free expression. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards for intellectual freedom including the William J. Brennan, Jr. Award for the Protection of Free Expression given by the Thomas Jefferson Center in Washington D.C.; the PEN/Newman First Amendment Award from the PEN American Center in New York; The Privacy International Brandeis Award; the American Library Association Award for Free Expression; and The Author’s Guild of America Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community. During their 40 days of 40th birthday celebration, take advantage of their sales and promotional coupons to create your own personal library of insightful and classic banned books.
According to the American Library Association, there were 348 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2010, and many more go unreported.
The 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:
And Tango Makes Three(Hardcover)
By Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Paperback)
By Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Brave New World (Paperback)
By Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
Crank (Paperback)
By Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit
The Hunger Games (Paperback)
By Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group
Lush (Paperback)
Entire series By Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group
What My Mother Doesn’t Know(Paperback)
By Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (Paperback)
By Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint
REVOLUTIONARY VOICES : A MULTICULTURAL QUEER YOUTH ANTHOLOGY
edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit
Twilight (Paperback)
Entire series By Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group
On the last day of Banned Books Week, with some Tattered and ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) support, celebrate your freedom of choice by building a banned reading list to last for the rest of the year.
