BANNED BOOKS WEEK (September 24-October 1, 2011)

We are celebrating banned books here on Open Book Empty Cup! This coming week is an event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of The First Amendment.

The reality is that there are books that are challenged (attempted removal of a book) and banned (actual removal of a book from the shelves) every year. I didn't realize how many until I looked up the stats on The American Library Association (ALA) website.

Here is some background information from 2001 to 2010

(from ALA American Library Association):

Over the past ten years, American libraries were faced with 4,660 challenges.

1,536 challenges due to “sexually explicit” material;
1,231 challenges due to “offensive language”;
977 challenges due to material deemed “unsuited to age group”;
553 challenges due to “violence”
370 challenges due to “homosexuality”; and

Further, 121 materials were challenged because they were “anti-family,” and an additional 304 were challenged because of their “religious viewpoints.”

That is a lot of books! In my opinion if you don't want to read a book then you shouldn't. The idea that the 'concerns' of some would dictate the banning of a book to everyone else sounds crazy to me. I am glad to be supporting Banned Books Week (BBW) and I hope everyone makes the choice for themselves what books they want to read. Freedom of choice that is what it's all about.

Happy reading

xoxo