Celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Book Week: October 5 – October 11
“Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For 40 years, this annual event has brought 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. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. 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.”
– American Library Association
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
Book challenges and bans most often affect public and school libraries, but even academic institutions such as colleges and universities are not immune. A challenge refers to an attempt by an individual or group to remove or restrict access to certain materials, typically due to objections to their content. A ban, on the other hand, is the actual removal of those materials from the library or curriculum.
Both actions aim to limit access, preventing others from engaging with the challenged content. While not all challenges result in bans, the mere possibility of a challenge can lead to preemptive removal of materials—meaning no formal objection has been made, yet access is already restricted. This kind of self-censorship, driven by fear of potential backlash, can be just as damaging as an official challenge or ban.
Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.
Want to learn more? The American Library Association provides an annual list of the most frequently challenged/banned books along with additional data.
The Middlebury Libraries does not ban books. If the library has a book in circulation, anyone with circulation privileges may check it out. To find out if the library has a book you are interested in, go to LibrarySearch, enter the title, and either find the book in the stacks or request it via interlibrary loan! For more information on how books (and other materials) are selected view our Collections Policy.
Any book worth banning is a book worth reading
