Tomorrow starts an annual event that all libraries should celebrate: Banned Books Week. In 1982, a group of people noticed an alarming number of books that were being banned or challenged and began a nationwide movement that is delightfully contrary: the celebration of banned and challenged books. Thus began Banned Books Week, a non-profit organization that works year-round, but is in overdrive every year during the last week of September. This year it runs from September 27th through October 3rd. On this week, all those who value the intellectual freedom of readers and writers make an effort (in addition to the effort we should be making year-round) to ensure that books, regardless of their content, are available to anyone who may want to read them.

But why does Banned Books Week talk about challenged books? What’s the difference between a ban and a challenge? According to the American Library Assocation: ” A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. 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. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.” In other words, if there’s an organized movement that tries to get a book taken away, the book is being challenged. If the organization that is being pressured takes that book away, the book has been banned.

Authors worldwide (many of whom have their own written works banned) often speak out against banning books because it threatens not only their livelihood of spreading ideas that are important to them in some way, but because they believe in free speech and allowing people to make their own decisions about what they choose to read. Sherman Alexie has spoken on behalf of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) against people who are trying to ban “insight” and “a complicated understanding of human behavior.” Judy Blume is a vociferous challenger of banning books and has spoken out against, not only the banning of her own books (that’s right books – plural. The creator of childhood favorites like Fudge and Freddy Dissel has had several of her books banned) but of banning other’s books as well. Neil Gaiman, honored last year as one of NCAC’s Free Speech Defenders, speaks so eloquently about what it means to value the freedom to read, I think it’s worth sharing here:

Libraries speak out against banned books as well. American Libraries magazine just featured an article perpetuating our freedom to read. The Library’s Pinterest page has a board dedicated exclusively to banned books. We here at the South, after already proclaiming the reader’s right to judgment-free reading, have been celebrating Banned Books Week all September with a display of banned books, particularly featuring our Big Read In the Time of the Butterflies, which was banned as close to us as the Port Washington New York school district for having objectionable material. The Port Washington students spoke out to defend their right to read and make their own decisions.

Challenging and banning can happen on a city-wide, county-wide, state-wide or even nation-wide level and can happen anywhere in the world. While people have every right not to read material they find objectionable (for any reason) and also have the right to talk to others about not reading a book for those reasons, the logic behind Banned Books Week is that nobody has the right to take away reading material from those who may want to read it. Disagreeing with thoughts and ideas is part of having free speech. Preventing others from deciding for themselves is not. Thus, we celebrate banned books to make sure that reading material, of any subject, in any form is available to anyone who wants it, regardless of who might want it otherwise. We celebrate banned books to remember that the act of banning books is dangerous, not just to the Salman Rushdie’s of the world, but to all of us because when books are banned, that means that fewer ideas and perspectives are out there for people to share, discuss and yes, even disagree with.

Banning books is not a thing of the past. Books are still being challenged and banned. Here is a sampling of some of the most-challenged books in 2014 according to the ALA:

The Absolutely True Diary of  A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This is the story of a budding cartoonist who leaves his home on an Indian Reservation to attend another school where the only other Indian is the mascot. This book has been banned for being culturally insensitive, anti-family and many other reasons. It was the #1 challenged book of 2014.

Persepolis by Marijane Satrapi

This graphic novel is a memoir of the author and her family’s experiences growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. This book has been banned for depicting gambling, offensive language and for having a political viewpoint.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This book about a young African-American girl who strives to fit into society’s strict, conventional view of beauty has been banned for being sexually explicit and for containing “controversial issues”.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This powerful tale of fathers and sons in Afghanistan spans the last days of the monarchy to the present. It has been banned for offensive language and violence.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This coming-of-age novel about a shy, introspective, intellectual high school freshman dealing with, among other issues, his best friend’s suicide has been banned for depictions of substance abuse and use of  profanity, among other reasons.

And yes, the South Branch owns all of these books, so you can make your own decisions about reading them.

So this week, dear readers, you have the opportunity to celebrate your freedom to read however you choose, in whatever way is most meaningful to you. You can take to Facebook or Twitter where there are Banned Books Week discussions going on, you could talk to someone (including your friendly neighborhood librarian) about your favorite banned book, or you can simply read. Reading whatever you choose, even if it’s not a banned book, is always the best way to exercise your right to read. Happy Banned Books Week!