Book Club - Banned Books Week

This month is a departure from the usual format of discussing one book. As part of the national annual Banned Books event which celebrates the freedom to read, we will be discussing challenged and banned books. We will also be looking at how the process works and reading excerpts from banned books.

Established in 1982, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to read. This year’s theme is “Freed Between the Lines,” and we’re reminded how much is at stake. The freedom to explore new ideas and different perspectives is under threat, and book bans don’t just restrict access to stories—they undermine our rights. Now is the time to come together, celebrate the right to read, and find freedom in the pages of a book. Let’s be “Freed Between the Lines.”

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. By focusing on efforts to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. Typically (but not always) held during the last week of September, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

So, the question we need to ask is; “Where do I stand on censorship?”