Banned Book Week 2010

Banned Book Week 2010

Think for Yourself and Let Others Do the Same

Every year, libraries celebrate Banned Books Week. It is a time to celebrate the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Sponsored and organized by the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Book Week is central to libraries and their belief in intellectual freedom - where patrons can access any type (unorthodox or mainstream) information freely and without censorship. At Hewes Library, we currently have titles on display in the East Lobby display cases that have been the subjects of attempted bannings across the United States.

Challenge VS. Banning:
According to parameters set in place by the American Library Association, challenges and bannings are defined as:

"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." (Definition from ALA.)

More information on Banned and Challenged Books:

• ALA's Banned Book Week
• ALA's lists of Frequently Challenged Books
• ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2009

Graphics complimentary from the American Library Association.