The Catcher in the Rye . . . I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . . . Captain Underpants . . .
What do these books have in common? They have all been the targets of efforts to have them banned from libraries. While you might have heard recently about popular controversies over the Harry Potter series, you might not know the full extent to which such challenges continue to occur in America today. Or that And Tango Makes Three, the heartwarming tale of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who start a family together, has been the most challenged book in the country for three years running. These challenges come from individuals, groups, and public authorities who work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label views “controversial” and books “objectionable”, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society. Since 1990, the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has recorded more than 10,000 book challenges, including 513 in 2008. A challenge is a formal, written complaint requesting a book be removed from library shelves or school curriculum. About three out of four of all challenges are to material in schools or school libraries, and one in four are to material in public libraries. OIF estimates that less than one-quarter of challenges are reported and recorded. While some books have been restricted, in most cases the efforts of librarians, teachers, parents, students, and other members of the community have ensured that the works remain fully accessible.
Banned Books Week, September 26 to October 3, is an annual celebration of the freedom to read freely and the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and it stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. It commemorates that most basic right of a democratic society, the right of intellectual freedom, and reminds us not take this freedom for granted. The Whole Earth Library is joining thousands of libraries and bookstores around the country in recognition of the week with a special display. Do you have a favorite book? Chances are that someone has tried to ban it somewhere. We are setting up a banned book wall in front of the library and encouraging you to stop by all week and write a quote on it from a banned or challenged book. Find out what books have been challenged by visiting the ALA's Frequently Challenged Books page and its list of Banned and Challenged Classics. Or try the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression Banned and Challenged Book List. Also be sure to visit the Book Bans and Challenges, 2007-2009 Map for a striking visual display of the problem. If you don't have a copy of your favorite banned book at hand consider visiting the Project Gutenberg site for free ebooks or The Open Library can help you track down other online copies as well as physical ones. On Friday, October 2, we will also be providing some snacks by the book swap area so you can mingle and share your banned books experiences. So come on by! And if you haven’t yet, sign up to become a member of the library. It’s FREE.
