Banned Books Week
In March 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for and against the right of a school board to remove books that they found objectionable from high school and junior high school libraries in their school district. The list of books included Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Go Ask Alice of anonymous authorship, and a book of short stories edited by Langston Hughes. Island Trees School District v. Pico (457 U.S. 852) was not the first court case with challenged books or the First Amendment on the docket, but it is credited as being one of the inspirations for the American Library Association’s (ALA) yearly celebration of Banned Books Week.
To commemorate this week (September 23–29, 2018) in which librarians, teachers, publishers and readers come together to support the freedom to find information and express views, the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) puts together an annual list of the most challenged books of the year. The 2017 list includes the young adult novels Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, as well as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
During Banned Books Week, public, academic, school, and special libraries create displays featuring books wrapped in caution tape or with their covers completely concealed. Lapel pins proudly proclaim “I Read Banned Books.” The OIF started a Dear Banned Author Letter-Writing Campaign so that readers can express to an author directly how a challenged book has impacted them.
Traditionally, books have been challenged for similar reasons — use of profanity and racist statements, discussion of sexuality, depictions of suicide and violence. The Harry Potter series made the list of banned books in 2003 for what challengers thought was the promotion of the occult. The Holy Bible appeared on the list in 2015 for “religious viewpoint.” Attempts to ban Bill Cosby’s Little Bill were made in 2016 due to criminal allegations against the author. As libraries have expanded their services, however, it is not only books that are requested to be removed from the library. The 491 challenged materials tracked by the ALA in 2017 included databases, programs, displays, films, and games.
Stop by the Washington State Law Library during Banned Books Week for more information about challenges to the First Amendment in court, and to read the Library Bill of Rights. (LE)
