Banned Books Week reminds students of their freedom to read what they want | The Louisville Cardinal - Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Louisville. By Ryan Considine– Banned Books Week was led by reference librarian Tocarra Porter and held at the University of Louisville’s Ekstrom Library from Sept. 26-28. The American Library Association hosts this event annually.
“I put the Statue of Liberty up behind our display because our liberties that we have take precedence over any type of restriction, stifling our freedom of expression and freedom of speech,” Ms. Porter said, referring to the library display beaming with the beautiful red, white and blue colors of the American flag. But what exactly is freedom?
In 2011, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was republished by New South Books to replace the word “n—r” with “slave” because it was a better way to “express Twain’s ideas in the 21st century.” In addition to Huckleberry Finn, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was banned during the Civil War period because of its anti-slavery content. Besides being banned and challenged, books have also been burned throughout history. Most Banned Books? Authors of Teen, Children's Literature. This week, Sept. 24 to Oct.1, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the ALA Banned Book Week. BBW celebrates authors who broke convention to write books about touchy subjects. Here are stats about most oft-censored children and teen authors and literature.
Most of these statistics hold true for adult literature as well. Who censors children's literature? Typically, school libraries, parents organizations, churches, religious groups, PTAs and school boards are the first line of attack against books. The American Library Association compiles data about challenged books and these groups show up most frequently as opponents of a particular work. What is the most common reason that children's books are banned? "Sexually explicit content," cited 3,169 times, is the most frequent criticism of a work. What books and authors are most banned? John Steinbeck and J.D. For propensity to be challenged, Radcliffe lists George Orwell ("1984," "Animal Farm") ranks high. J.K. Yes. No. About Banned & Challenged Books. The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them.
The following is a list of frequently asked questions on banned and challenged books: What is the difference between a challenge or banning? 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. 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. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection. Why are books challenged? No. Challenges to library materials. “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” —Article 3, Library Bill of Rights A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.
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. For assistance with challenges to library materials, services, or programs, please contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom, 800-545-2433, ext. 4223. In 1986, in response to inquiries from librarians facing book or material challenges for the first time, the Intellectual Freedom Committee developed the following list of definitions to clarify terminology associated with challenges: Expression of Concern.
Most Frequently Challenged Authors of the 21st Century. Frequently challenged books of the 21st century. Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of the top ten most frequently challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The ALA condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.
The number of challenges reflects only incidents reported. We estimate that for every reported challenge, four or five remain unreported. Therefore, we do not claim comprehensiveness in recording challenges. Background Information from 2000 to 2009 Over this recent past decade, 5,099* challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Further, 274 materials were challenged due to "occult" or "Satanic" themes, an additional 291 were challenged due to their "religious viewpoint," and 119 because they were "anti-family. "