Banned Books Week
Amanda Ward
Chant Writer
The 29th annual Banned Books Week was held this year from September 25 through October 2. The event, according to the American Library Association (ALA), is a “celebration of the freedom to read.”
Held annually during the last week of September, Banned Books Week is an international awareness campaign that highlights books that have been subject to bans or challenges (requests for removal) and publicizes current cases of censorship.
On an international level, the campaign draws attention to cases where individuals have been persecuted due to their writings. Amnesty International reports many instances around the globe of writers, including reporters and bloggers, being imprisoned or even killed because of their work.
In the United States, Banned Books Week is used to promote intellectual freedom and celebrate the First Amendment. Libraries and bookstores across the country set up special displays of books that have been banned or challenged. Many places organize events such as essay contests and public readings of banned books.
The ALA, one of the sponsors of the campaign, stresses, “We must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors…come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear.”
