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Banned Books Week 2021: Banned Books Week

Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us. September 26-October 2, 2021

Banned Books Week

Why Banned Books Week?

Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read.

The 2021 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 26 - October 2. 

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982.

Banned vs. Challenged

According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, "a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or a group. A banning is the removal of those materials." 

The ALA notes that "challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others."

Read a Banned Book

Absolutely True Diary

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

Banned Books Week on the Web

Banned Books Week image

Click on the image above for fun stats from American Libraries

Articles on Banned Books and Censorship

Use these library databases to explore topics on banned books and censorship.

From off campus you'll need to log in using your MJC ID # without the W and your six-digit birthdate.

Interactive Web Resources

Latest news on book banning from Google News

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