Buttons in Chang Library. Designed by Roselyn Riley-Ryan
- Top Most Challenged Books in 2022List of most frequently challenged books out of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2022.
- Book Challenges Nearly Doubled From 2021Press release: American Library Association reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022.
- Top Most Challenged Books ArchiveLists of the most frequently challenged books in the past years.
Q: Why Banned Books Week?
A: Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Highlighting the value of free and open access to information, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek, to publish, to read, and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read.
Source: Banned Books Week Q&A (ALA)
Visit our Exhibits in NBL Libraries: Carr, Douglass, and Chang
- Banned Books Week 2023 in Carr LibraryExhibit in the Recreational Reading area in Carr Library, with infographics, matching books and posters recommending them. The collection itself is the home of many titles often challenged or banned elsewhere.
- Banned Books Week 2023 in Chang LibraryA small exhibit featuring books and infographics inside the library in two display cases.
- Banned Books Week 2023 in Douglass LibraryThe exhibit on the first floor in Douglass Library turned students’ existing mini-posters on display from Fall 2022 into a Banned Books Week exhibit.
- Banned Books Students Read (2019-2022)An online collection of mini-posters recommending banned books SEBS students created as part of their library instruction class assignment, without a special focus or mentioning book bans, in 2019-2022. These posters served as the foundation of several exhibits in four libraries (Art, Carr, Chang, and Douglass) over time.
Censorship by the Numbers
