Banned Books And Your Freedom To Read...

September 26-October 3, 2009 is Banned Books Week, a U.S. tradition honoring the right to access information, read and remember the importance of the First Amendment and the dangers of censorship, particularly with regard to books targeted for banning.

Examples of such books include but are not limited to: Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Darwin's Origin of the Species, Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird, among many others.

Libraries in communities across the country commemorate Banned Books Week with displays and other activities. You may want to visit yours and find a once banned book to read.

This annual event is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers,and the National Association of College Stores. It is also endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Further information is available at your local library or by visiting the American Library Association website at : http://www.ala.org/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm.

There you'll find all sorts of interesting information regarding where and how books have been the targets of banning, events, activities and more. Celebrate your freedom to read.

Those of you who live outside the United States might be interested in finding out about the banned books in your part of the world. I invite you to post your discoveries in the Comments for this blog.

The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom at http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?Section=oif#what contains useful information about the Library Bill of Rights, the Patriot Act and other hot-button issues relative to intellectual freedom, including some suggestions how citizens and others can support both libraries and intellectual freedom.

Happy Reading, Everyone!

Until Next Time...