Banned Books

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.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.    http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned

Banned Books Week is the annual celebration of the freedom to read. This freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Although we enjoy an increasing quantity and availability of information and reading material, we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors who continue to threaten the freedom to read come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear.

Sex, profanity, and racism remain the primary categories of objections, and most occur in schools and school libraries. Frequently, challenges are motivated by the desire to protect children. While the intent is commendable, this method of protection contains hazards far greater than exposure to the “evil” against which it is leveled.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, in Texas v. Johnson, said, “If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” Individuals may restrict what they themselves or their children read, but they must not call on governmental or public agencies to prevent others from reading or seeing that material.

The challenges documented in this list are not brought by people merely expressing a point of view; rather, they represent requests to remove materials from schools or libraries, thus restricting access to them by others. Even when the eventual outcome allows the book to stay on the library shelves and even when the person is a lone protester, the censorship attempt is real. Someone has tried to restrict another person’s ability to choose. Challenges are as important to document as actual bannings, in which a book is removed from the shelves of a library or bookstore or from the curriculum at a school. Attempts to censor can lead to voluntary restriction of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy; in these cases, material may not be published at all or may not be purchased by a bookstore, library, or school district.

We have reason to celebrate. Due to the commitment of parents, students, librarians, teachers, and other concerned citizens, more and more challenges are unsuccessful, and the reading material remains available. ...Many prohibitions against free speech and expression remain undocumented. Surveys indicate approximately 85 percent of the challenges to library materials receive no media attention and remain unreported. Moreover, this list is limited to books and does not include challenges to magazines, newspapers, films, broadcasts, plays, performances, electronic publications, or exhibits.

"State of America's Libraries Report 2016", American Library Association, March 28, 2016. http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2016 (Accessed October 3, 2017) Document ID: 1b5f6e76-b14a-70a4-8914-a0769ec5f941





The American Library Association tracked 377 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2019. Of the 566 books that were challenged or banned, here are the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019,” along with the reasons cited for censoring the books. Learn more at American Library Association: Banned Books 2019.

Dav Pilkey explains how you can express concern about a book without undermining the freedom to read of those around you by making a simple change. Banned Books Week in September each year celebrates your freedom to read. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. For more information on Banned Books Week, please visit www.ala.org/bbooks and www.bannedbooksweek.org

There are four major types of libraries:

1. Academic libraries serve colleges and universities.
2. Public libraries serve cities and towns of all types.
3. School libraries serve students from Kindergarten to grade 12.
4. Special libraries are in specialized environments, such as hospitals, corporations, museums, the military, private business, and the government.

Further details on the occupation of librarianship (including salary, job outlook, descriptions of the work) is in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

There are more than 117,000 libraries throughout the U.S. and 158,000 librarians. Types of libraries include schools, colleges, hospitals, law firms, businesses, museums, and the government.

Powell, Jill. "Books & Bytes: Librarians as Information Managers: Types of Libraries." Cornell University Libraries, Ithaca NY. 27 Jun 2019. Web. 12 July 2019.