Banned Books Week

The Dick Smith Library's 2011 "Banned Books Week" Display

This is "Banned Books Week" in the United States, September 24 through October 1.  It really should be called "Challenged Books Week," because not that many books are actually banned.  Many books are challenged in schools and libraries in the United States each year. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, while a banning reflects the actual removal of those materials. The American Library Association (ALA) tracks challenges that occur, recording 348 challenges in 2010 (the fewest since 1990).  However, the ALA estimates that this number reflects only 20-25% of actual challenges, as many are not reported.

You might want to check out this interesting infographic about the top ten challenged books of 2010, or join the Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out on YouTube.

[photo above and the others at the link on the caption by Tracy Holtman; the display was put together by Rashelle Hansen and Sharon Alexander.]