Banned Book Week 2016

Artwork by ALA

Each year during September, Sullivan University Library joins the American Library Association in observing Banned Books Week. An annual celebration of our right to access books and materials without censorship, Banned Books Week commemorates the most basic freedom in a democratic society—the freedom to read freely—and encourages us not to take this freedom for granted.

Since 1990, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has recorded more than 10,000 book challenges. A challenge is a formal, written complaint requesting a book be removed from library shelves or school curriculum. While books have been and continue to be banned, the fact is that, in a majority of cases, the challenged books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read. (ALA, 2016).

Visit the library to browse through our Banned Books Week display, and go to the library’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SullivanLex) and blog (http://lexlibrary.blogspot.com/) to see–and learn about–some of the books that have been banned or challenged. To learn more about Banned Books Week, you can also visit http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/.