Banned Books: Home

Book banning is a form of censorship. 

What is censorship? It is an action that takes away your freedom to access information and compromises your intellectual freedom.

What is intellectual freedom? The ability to think for yourself and make decisions.

Why are books banned? They are banned because some of the content is offensive to some people.  The content is usually connected to religion, sex, language, sexual orientation, race, violence, and behavior.

Banned Books Week is celebrated every year either in September or October.  It was started in 1982 in response to challenges to books.  It supports the freedom to read anything that you want.

Challenged: a book that has had a formal complaint filed against because it is offensive. The objective of the complaint is to have the book removed or restrict access to it.

Banned: a book that has been challenged with a formal complaint and it has been removed from the collection or curriculum.

2023 set a record for the most book challenges ever.

The American Library Association has created the Library Bill of Rights.  This Bill of Rights can be viewed as guiding principles for libraries.

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices.

Unite Against Book Bans has created resumes for challenged and banned books.  These resumes are an overview of the book.  It is an alphabetical title list Book Resumes 

Visit the website Unite Against Book Bans for information about Book Bans.