Celebrate Banned Books Week

The web is all atwitter with articles about Banned Books Week which is September 24-October 1. Since I am in the business of studying, reading, and teaching books, I cannot help but see the value in drawing attention to the fact that books are banned and challenged every year. For many people, the idea of banned books is something removed by space and/or time - oh that happened during the Red Scare, in ancient times, in third world countries, etc. But today? No way! In America? Yeah right! Well I hate to be the one delivering bad news, but even in this paragon of freedom land and even in 2011, books are still the subject of much debate. What follows are some resources and articles which are meant as food for thought. Maybe you or someone you know is reading a banned book right now - how does this knowledge change the way you read the book? I welcome your comments, your resources or additional links, or your experiences with banned/challenged books. Take a look, leave a comment.

For a quick survey of the current state of Banned/Challenged books, take a look at "The Top Ten Banned or Challenged Books of 2010" on the Huffington Post. This infographic allows you to scan the book labels and explore the reasons why certain books are banned/challenged.

It is possible that you are wondering about the larger significance of banned/challenged books or you have at least faced questions as to why keeping young people from reading "adult" literature is a controversial issue. It is not as black and white as you think. Too many comments about banned books are mean exchanges about liberals and conservatives - yes, I take issue with the fact that books about homosexuality are often banned/challenged, but I also take issue with the fact that the Bible and Koran are banned/challenged - I am an equal opportunity opponent to banning books.

And I am not the only one: Take a look at remarks from the President of the American Library Association on how Censorship is Alive and Well and how it is linked to Banned Books Week. Another article, "On Being Banned" by Dalma Heyn, is by one of many authors whose work has been banned or challenged and who explores the implications of these experiences. You can also check out the official Banned Books Week website for featured events, a youtube banned book reading project, and resources/data on banned books. There is even a "Mapping Censorship" Map which shows the locations in the US where challenges and bans occur - you might be surprised by the pattern!

Finally, here is a blog devoted to reviewing and reading Banned Books all year. What I like about this blog is the amount of research per post - for all the skeptics out there regarding banned/challenged books, this blogger provides direct quotes from the groups/individuals who want to ban/challenge specific books.

What do you think about banned books?