“A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials.” The American Library Association
It seems like every year when I post my Banned Books Week blogs or start talking to people about Banned Books Week, I find someone who responds with incredulity.
“Banning books? They still do that?” a friend asked me last year.
This year, I was chatting with my husband’s brother-in-law. He asked me what I was working on with my writing these days. I told him about my annual Banned Books Week blogs.
“Banned books?” he asked. “Who’s banning them?”
And the answer is… anyone. Any time someone – anyone – tries to keep other people from reading a book, tries to prevent access to a book for whatever reason, that’s a challenge, an attempt to ban. It could be a parent or a “concerned” citizen. It could be a school board member or an elected official, a member of the clergy, or even (though less frequently) a teacher or librarian. In fact, with the prevalence of customer reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and even library websites, an attempt to ban may come from any random person.
Per the American Library Association, 45% of the challenges made to books in 2019 were initiated by library patrons, the largest single group that year. (See more data and infographics here: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics )
Why are people trying to ban these books? What books are being challenged this year? Strap on your I Read Banned Books pins and join me tomorrow as we start on an in-depth journey!
More information on Banned Books Week and frequently challenged books and authors is available through the American Library Association