Banned Books Week

“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” –Noam Chomsky

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced that the 27th anniversary of Banned Books Week (BBW) will take place September 27- October 4, 2008 at libraries and schools across the country.

Since 1982, BBW has drawn attention to the increasing number of challenges to books in schools and libraries. The ALA is asking readers to support BBW by organizing Banned Books Read-Out! at local schools and libraries, reading a banned book, joining the Freedom to Read Foundation and writing letters to schools and libraries in support of the freedom to read.

The challenging and banning of books because of questionable content is an age-old practice that is surprisingly prevalent today. Some of the most frequently challenged books in recent years include The Catcher and the Rye, The Color Purple, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Golden Compass. Many influential writers have had their work challenged as well; authors in this category include Judy Blume, R.L. Stine, Stephen King and John Steinbeck.

According to the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, 420 challenges were filed last year requesting that a book be banned. A challenge is a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. Judith King, director of the Office of Intellectual Freedom, reports that for every challenge reported approximately four or five remain unreported. A banning, on the other hand, is when a book is actually removed from a library or school. Fortunately, most challenges are unsuccessful; despite the formal compliant, books are rarely removed from library and school bookshelves.

So how do you get your book challenged and possibly banned? It’s quite easy. The following criteria are used when ruling whether or not to ban a book:
-inappropriate sexual content (including homosexuality and sexist remarks)
-offensive language
-anti-ethnic
-anti-family
-religious viewpoint
-unsuited to age group
-racism

For the past two years, the most frequently challenged book has been And Tango Makes Three (Simon and Schuster) by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. The ALA reports that complaints against the book include “anti-ethnic,” “sexism,” “homosexuality,” “anti-family,” “religious viewpoint” and “unsuited to age group.” And Tango Makes Three is the true story of a baby penguin at the Central Park Zoo who is raised by two male penguins who are presumably a couple. In 2006, the book was named Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association and Best Book of the Year by Nick Jr. Family Magazine. Numerous complaints have been filed since the book’s publication. For instance, at Shiloh Elementary School in Shiloh, IL parents petitioned for the book to be placed in the restricted section of the library. The superintendent denied the request and the book is available to all students.

BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers, the National Association of College Stores and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. BBW is endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.

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