I spent this morning at work wrapping over twenty of our books in plain brown paper. Then I tied up each of the books with yellow caution tape. Why, you might ask. Are they dangerous? Contaminated?

Well, neither actually. We are preparing for Banned Books Week here at the library. Banned Books Week celebrates the “Freedom to Read” and is observed during the last week of September each year. This annual American Library Association (ALA) event was created to remind Americans not to take this democratic freedom for granted. This year will be the 27th anniversary of Banned Books Week, and it will be celebrated at libraries, bookstores, schools, and more, September 27-October 4.

Here is a further explanation of the annual celebration from the ALA’s website:

“Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose, or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.”

But back to those wrapped up books… Books that have made their way on to banned and challenged lists will be wrapped up and out on display during the month of September. They will be available for checkout, sight unseen, for those who DARE! Unwrap one at home and read for it for yourself, form your own opinion, and maybe even try to find out why it was ever challenged in the first place!

Below are some links to find out more about banned books, lists of frequently challenged books, and recent news articles relating to book banning and censorship. Check them out and let us know your thoughts!

ALA Banned Books Week; Celebrating the Freedom to Read

The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2001

Palin asked Wasilla librarian about censoring books:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=
1117009&format=&page=2&listingType=2008pres#articleFull

She'd rather go to jail…

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/280442-3/LewistonAuburn
/Shed_rather_go_to_jail/