According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, each year there are hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed, or banned, from libraries and schools. Reasons for attempting to ban a book usually center around a viewpoint or situation that the challenger finds offensive, such as drug or alcohol use, sexually explicit content, profanity, witchcraft, homosexuality, violence, or alternative political viewpoints. The ALA launched Banned Books Week in 1982 to raise awareness of the issues surrounding censorship and these challenges, and to celebrate a core value of librarianship - that individuals should have the freedom to read what they wish.To commemorate Banned Books Week, the University Library has teamed up with the Center for Applied Ethics to host a webinar showing of Before the Mud Flies: Conversations for Banned Books Week from 12:00-1:00 p.m on September 26th. Following the webinar, Dr. Tim Shiell, professor in UW-Stout's English and Philosophy department, will lead a discussion of 1st Amendment Rights from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The campus community is invited to bring a lunch and attend these events. The library will provide coffee and tea.
Want to learn more about these topics? Check out the following resources:
Banned Books Week:
- Banned Books Week Official Site
- Frequently Challenged Books
- Top 10 Frequently Challenged Books (by year)
First Amendment Rights and Intellectual Freedom:
- Amendment I - from the National Constitution Center
- Intellectual Freedom - from the American Library Association
- Intellectual Freedom Principals for Academic Libraries - from the American Library Association
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