Banned Books Week

Have you ever wondered what Banned Books Week is all about? In a word or two, it’s about celebrating all the cool (and subversive) ideas that you can find in your library.

Although “Banned Books” sounds good, the vast majority of banned books are actually “challenged” by people who do not want a book in their local public or school library. Frequent reasons given are that a book is dangerous, offensive, or somehow threatening. In other words, the challenged book conflicts with the challenger’s personal beliefs.

American libraries resist calls to ban books because we believe that wide ranges of thought are the best way to represent broad spectrums of experiences and opinions. We call this the marketplace of ideas. Libraries are places that always fight against the restrictive tyranny of the few in favor of the free access of intellectual pursuits of the many.

So, visit the Pesky Banned Books display. Pick up a Banned Book and try and see what all the fuss is about.

-MJD