Censoring Books
Libraries advocate for the freedom to access and read any book a reader might want. To bring attention to the insidious problem of censorship and encroachment on the First Amendment, libraries all over the country celebrate Banned Books Week. Launched by the American Library Association in 1982, the ALA tabulates reports of challenges to books held in library collections, as well as any times those challenges resulted in restricting access to a book or even, in some cases, of completely withdrawing it from a collection. The resulting list of the top ten most-challenged books is updated and publicized every year. Challenges against books typically occur in school or public libraries, and often target children’s books. Common titles that have suffered … Continued