Celebrating Freedom to Read: Banned Books Week 2008

This week marks the 27th celebration of Banned Books Week, a national event promoted by the American Library Association (ALA) celebrating the freedom to read.

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, and Heather Has Two Mommies are just a few examples of material that some have tried to keep off library shelves. According to the ALA, more than 400 books were challenged this year. Among the top ten were: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Chocolate War, And Tango Makes Three.

Is a book being kept out of your school or local library? Visit the American Booksellers Foundation, contact the American Library Association, and check out The Book Censorship Toolkit, a tool provided by the National Coalition Against Censorship, which includes tips for responding to challenges.

Library Internet Censorship:

Sadly, as the internet has joined books as a pivotal means of accessing information at the library, the age-old issues of library censorship have followed.

A San Jose City Councilmember is trying to censor access to the internet in the public libraries and a new, restrictive internet use policy is expected to be debated by the Council very soon. A new policy that includes filtering software will keep essential health, LGBT information, and political information out of reach for many people of all ages and backgrounds that rely on the library to access important resources.

73% of public libraries are the only source of free public access to computers and the internet in the community. 29% of African American youth, 20% of Latino youth, and 27% of youth from families with annual incomes of less than $20,000, depend on library computers to access information for schoolwork and for their families.

Reports by Kaiser, Consumer Reports, and the Free Expression Policy Project have all found that filters improperly block important websites about health, sex education, civil rights, and politics.

A recent test by the San Jose Public Libraries of three software filtering programs again found substantial overblocking. Specific sites that were inaccurately blocked included WebMD and the American Urological Association; a World War II history site; Univision.com (one of the largest Spanish-language broadcasters); Victims of Pornography (an anti-pornography support group); and PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbian Gays- an LGBT support and advocacy group). The filters also blocked access to information in the library's Health and Wellness Resource Center database, its World Book Encyclopedia online, and even the library's own online catalog of available books.

Take Action to protect freedom to read by contacting the City Council and the San Jose Public Library and letting them know that you oppose library censorship and support open access to the internet.

Supporting open access to information in our libraries is critical to the preservation of our freedom to learn about a variety of opinions, ideas, and information. The annual celebration of Banned Books week reminds us that we cannot stand for censorship in any form. When books are banned or restrictive library internet policies are proposed, each of us must stand up and fight for the freedom to read and access information.