National Library Week: Challenged Books

 Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

This infographic, from ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom,  provides an overview of the ten most challenged books of 2020. Click here to view a full-sized version of the infographic.

About the Infographic: "The American Library Association tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2020.  A challenge is an attempt to remove or or restrict materials or services based on content. Overall, 273 books were targeted" (ALA, OIF 2021)

National Library Week 2021

Censorship by the Numbers

This infographic from ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom provides an overview of reasons for challenges, who initiated the challenge, where challenges take place, and additional book details. Click here to view the full-sized image.

ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged Books 2020

It's National Library Week! 

The American Library Association's State of America's Libraries report 2021 was released yesterday. It included the Top 10 #BannedBooksList, the most frequently challenged books of 2020.

"The American Library Association tracked 156 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2020. Of the 273 books that were challenged or banned, here are the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020,” along with the reasons cited for censoring the titles." - ALA YouTube Channel

Banned Books Week: 2015 Book Challenges

"Free Downloads", American Library Association, January 3, 2013. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/freedownloads (Accessed September 8, 2016)

Banned Books Week: 2015 Top 10 Challenges

Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2015 from ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom:

1. Looking for Alaska, by John Green 
2. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James 
3. I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings 
4. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin 
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon 
6. The Holy Bible 
7. Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel 
8. Habibi, by Craig Thompson 
9. Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, by Jeanette Winter 
10. Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

Interested in learning more? 

Visit Banned and Challenged Books on ALA's Banned Books Week Web site.

Banned Books Week: Getting Social

The IRC Pinterest site features a Banned Books Week board with additional resources.

Follow IRC's board Banned Books Week on Pinterest.

Get involved by sharing your Banned Books Week story on Twitter using the hash tag #bannedbooksweek, following Banned Books Week on Facebook, enjoying a variety of Read Outs on the Banned Books Week YouTube Channel, and find great display ideas from the Banned Books Week Pinterest page.

Banned Books Week: September 25 - October 1

It's time to celebrate Banned Books Week; "Stand Up for Your Right to Read."

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights 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 and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." -- ALA Banned Books Week

Interested in learning more about Banned Books Week? There's a Banned Books Week LibGuide for that! The library guide presents an overview of  Banned Books Week history and challenged books, Library Resources and Internet Resources for celebrating Banned Books Week, links to frequently banned and challenged books for the last ten years - and - challenged classics,  and an interactive timeline highlighting 30 Years of Challenged Literature.

Banned Books Week: There's more

We are mid-way through 2015 Banned Books Week! If you haven't already done so, be sure to get your #BannedBooksWeek button. Buttons are available at the circulation desk, library main floor, and with the new book display on the second floor. Mini information displays are available on the main floor and second floor, Instructional Resource Center.

A new Banned & Challenged Books board has been added to the IRC Pinterest site. It features board features frequently challenged books from 2010 - 2014. "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" (American Library Association).

Follow IRC's board Banned & Challenged Books on Pinterest.
It's not too late to follow the IRC on Twitter. We've been actively tweeting #BannedBooksWeek resources and information throughout the week. Be sure to celebrate your #FreedomtoRead throughout the year.


Tweets by @IRCaulibrary

Banned Books Week: Sept 27 - Oct 3

It's time to celebrate Banned Books Week; "Celebrating the Freedom to Read." What is Banned Books Week?

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights 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 and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." -- ALA Banned Books Week

Interested in learning more about Banned Books Week? There's a Banned Books Week LibGuide for that! The library guide presents an overview of  Banned Books Week history and challenged books, Library Resources and Internet Resources for celebrating Banned Books Week, links to frequently banned and challenged books for the last ten years - and - challenged classics,  and an interactive timeline highlighting 30 Years of Challenged Literature.

The IRC Pinterest site features a Banned Books Week board with additional resources.

Follow IRC's board Banned Books Week on Pinterest.

Get involved by sharing your Banned Books Week story on Twitter using the hash tag #bannedbooksweek, following Banned Books Week on Facebook, enjoying a variety of Read Outs on the Banned Books Week YouTube Channel, and find great display ideas from the Banned Books Week Pinterest page.

Banned Books Week: Virtual Read Out

From the Banned Books Week YouTube Channel and Read Out playlist, here are several videos discussing the right to read, censorship, and orations of passages from banned and censored books.

Banned Books Week: @IRCaulibrary

How well do you know banned and challenged books? During Banned Books Week @IRCaulibrary, in conjunction with the IRC #BannedBooksWeek Pinterest board, will feature a book each day that has been challenged or banned with information about why it has been challenged, when it has been challenged, and reasons for the challenge.

Do you know this book? check the #BannedBooksWeek board on the IRC Pinterest site for the answer. pic.twitter.com/uiBicJrcY6
— IRC - AU Library (@IRCaulibrary) September 22, 2014

The IRC Banned Books Week Pinterest board will present a catalog link to the answer. Follow the IRC on Twitter and Pinterest and play along, submit your guess in the comments on Pinterest. No peeking.

Banned Books Week: September 21-27 2014

It's time to celebrate Banned Books Week; this year's theme is "Celebrating the Freedom to Read." What is Banned Books Week?

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights 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 and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." -- ALA Banned Books Week

Interested in learning more about Banned Books Week? There's a Banned Books Week LibGuide for that! The library guide presents an overview of  Banned Books Week history and challenged books, Library Resources and Internet Resources for celebrating Banned Books Week, links to frequently banned and challenged books for the last ten years - and - challenged classics,  an interactive timeline highlighting 30 Years of Challenged Literature, and the IRC Pinterest site.

The IRC Pinterest site features a Banned Books Week board with additional resources.

Follow IRC's board Banned Books Week on Pinterest.

Get involved by sharing your Banned Books Week story on Twitter using the hash tag #bannedbooksweek, following Banned Books Week on Facebook, enjoying a variety of Read Outs on the Banned Books Week YouTube Channel, and find great display ideas from the Banned Books Week Pinterest page.

Banned Books Week: Sept. 22-28, 2013

What is Banned Books Week?

"Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights 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 and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular." -- ALA Banned Books Week

Visit the IRC's Banned Books Week board on Pinterest for great resources.

Banned Books Week

Banned Books week is September 30 - October 6, 2012. Check out the IRC's Banned Books Week board on Pinterest for resources and ideas.

Source: bannedbooksweek.org via IRC @ on Pinterest

Bill Moyers: The Bane of Banned Books

"In honor of the 30th anniversary of the American Library Association’s “Banned Books Week,” Bill talks about the impact libraries have had on his youth, his dismay over book challenges in modern times, and why censorship is the biggest enemy of truth." -- Bill Moyers, The Bane of Banned Books, 9/25/12

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is September 30 - October 6, 2012.

"Bookmans, www.bookmans.com, an independent bookstore with six locations in Arizona, created this video for the 2012 Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out, www.bannedbooksweek.org/virtualreadout" -- Bookmans Does Banned Books Virtual Readout

Visit the Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out YouTube Channel for more video resources.

Banned Books Week

"What Banned Book Are You Reading?"

"In honor of Banned Books Week, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) asked highly acclaimed authors what banned book they are reading. Authors include (in order of appearance):  Deborah Harness, Lisa Genova, William Joyce, Jen Lancaster, James Meek, Adriana Trigiani, Molly Ringwald, Kitty Kelley, Catherynne Valente, James Patterson, John Green, Jenny Han, Junot Diaz." -- Banned Books Week, What Banned Book are You Reading, 9/20/12

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is September 30 - October 6, 2012.

"Bookmans, www.bookmans.com, an independent bookstore with six locations in Arizona, created this video for the 2012 Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out, www.bannedbooksweek.org/virtualreadout" -- Bookmans Does Banned Books Virtual Readout

Visit the Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out YouTube Channel for more video resources.

AU Circulating: Education

The following books have been added to the library circulating collection. You will find them displayed in the new book area on the library main floor or in their regular locations.

• Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video Games as a Medium for Learning
  QA135.6 .D53 2011
• Cell Phones in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educators
  LB1028.3 .K647 2011