Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association, www.ala.org
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. By focusing on efforts to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. American Library Association, Banned Books Week
A book "ban" involves the removal of books or other material from a library as a result of a challenge from a person or group.
Censorship is "Limiting or removing access to words, images, or ideas. The decision to restrict or deny access is made by a governing authority. This could be a person, group, or organization/business. Censorship by the government is illegal." (Source: Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A)
A challenge is a word used by libraries to describe any attempt by an individual or group to have a resource removed from a library or have its access restricted.
"Intellectual freedom gives people the right to think for themselves. It respects individual dignity and self-rule" (Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A) The basis behind intellectual freedom is the First Amendment and the idea that individuals have the right to seek out and access information from all points of view without restriction.
This Inside Edition clip, aired in 2023 during last year's Banned Books Week, provides a brief introduction to Banned Books Week and why it matters.
Florida: 5107
Texas: 1567
Pennsylvania: 657
Wisconsin: 553
Tennessee: 364
Missouri: 360
Source: Meehan, K., Baeta, S., Markham, M., & Magnusson, T. (2024, April 16). Banned in the USA: Narrating the crisis. https://pen.ohttps://pen.org/report/narrating-the-crisis/#heading-2
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