Banned Books Week

Collections

Banned Books Week, which takes place on September 22-28 this year, is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to the harms of censorship. We asked our Lead Collection and Knowledge Management Librarian, Matthew Noe, MSLS, for his thoughts on this important observance:

Banned Books Week is an annual event that began in 1982 in response to a surge in challenges to materials in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Each year, readers are asked to loudly support librarians, educators, and all others working to make sure the right to read is not infringed upon and to reach out to their elected officials to encourage them to pass legislation protecting the right to read. While challenges to books in libraries and schools are hardly new*, challenges today feature far more targeted harassment of librarians and educators than in recent memory. It is no longer simply requests to remove a single book, it is requests to remove hundreds or thousands of books. It is no longer just requests to remove books, but requests to remove entire subjects from collections. It is no longer even just requests to remove entire subjects, but requests to remove entire peoples from libraries.

The very foundation of libraries - the right to read and to practice intellectual freedom - are under threat. Banned Books Week asks us to dedicate time to reflecting on the importance of these rights, on the value of libraries, and to take action to ensure access remains for all people, now and tomorrow. Below, you will find some suggested readings, resources, and initiatives that members of Countway Library are participating in that may be of interest. This is only a small selection of helpful resources on this topic; if you have questions or would like additional resources, please contact us through Ask Countway!

*the first documented book ban in the United States took place in 1637, in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts.

Suggested Readings, Resources, and Initiatives