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Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign in an attempt to protect freedom of speech by celebrating challenged books. Despite the unorthodox nature of some of the material, Banned Books Week celebrates freedom of choice and the requirement to keep such material publicly available so that people can develop their own conclusions and opinions. Its goal is "to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society."

Held during the last week of September since 1982, Banned Books Week not only encourages readers to examine controversial literary works, but also promotes intellectual freedom in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Offering Banned Books Week kits, the ALA sells posters, buttons, and bookmarks to celebrate the event. Many educational facilities also celebrate banned and challenged books during this week, often creating displays and programs around the awareness campaign. Additionally, various booksellers sponsor activities and events in support of Banned Books Week. Some retailers create window displays, while others go further, inviting authors of challenged materials to come speak at their stores, as well as funding annual essay contests about freedom of expression.

The event is not without controversy. "The ALA misleads people into thinking that if you keep an inappropriate book from a child that is considered censorship. It is not." In another example, former ALA Councilor Jessamyn West said:

It also highlights the thing we know about Banned Books Week that we don't talk about much — the bulk of these books are challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children. While I think this is still a formidable thing for librarians to deal with, it's totally different from people trying to block a book from being sold at all.

The campaign was founded in 1982 by prominent First Amendment and library activist Judith Krug. It is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

External links

• Banned Books Week, by ALA and ABFFE
• Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, by ALA

References

1. "About Banned and Challenged Books". American Library Association. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
2. "Banned Books Week". American Library Association. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
3. "Family Friendly Libraries Challenges ALA's Banned Books Week". Library Journal. 1997-09-22. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
4. Hussein, Sara (6 September 2009). "US Libraries Hit Back Over Challenges to Kids Books". AFP. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
5. Jessamyn West (2006-09-21). "Banned Books Week is Next Week". Librarian.net. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
6. Dorothy Samuels (2009-04-14). "Editorial | Appreciations | Judith Krug". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-15.

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