Banned Books Week
September 26–October 3, 2009
If a book be false in its facts, disprove them; if false in its reasoning, refute it. But for God’s sake, let us freely hear both sides if we choose. --Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (1743-1826)
This year is the 28th anniversary of Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read. Celebrate your freedom to read with a book from any of the lists posted on a website below:
- ALA (American Library Association) Banned Books Week - The leaders of Banned Books Week have numerous links of interest for further reading, including
- About.com's Banned Books - Censorship - Extensive list of sites.
- Banned Books and Censorship Resources - This site created by George Suttle includes information on additional types of censored media including comic books, music, tv, and the Internet along with general information about censorship.
- Banned Books Week - Created by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, this site includes library and bookstore events celebrating the freedom to read and "a list of suggestions of other activities that will help remind people of the importance of free speech."
- Controversial and Banned Books - Online bookstore "for thought-provoking & paradigm-shifting books, videos and audio tapes." Includes lists of authors and titles that have been "banned by someone, somewhere, sometime," and a growing list of censors and book-banners in the U.S.
- Google Map of Book Bans and Challenges, 2007-2009 - Click on a blue marker to see information on banned or challenged books in the U.S.
- UCSD's Banned Books and Censorship Histories Chart - This site is a few years old but includes a good chart on books that have been banned or challenged, some multiple times over the years.
- University of Pennsylvania's Banned Books Online - Links to the fulltext of some of the "books that have been the objects of censorship or censorship attempts."
- Why Were Books Banned? - A brief article from the Southern Illinois University School of Law on the legal history of book banning.
- Wikipedia's List of Banned Books - Growing list of banned books with reasons and links to other sources.
- For a fun video clip, see I'd Like to Find *BLEEP*
- And read this excellent response from a librarian to a parent's challenge of Uncle Bobby's Wedding.
Also, look for the display in the flat case in the Library Lobby running September 22-October 12, and check out the collection of books that have been challenged or banned on the "New Books" shelf in the Library Lobby.