INDIANA – Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the freedom to read, is from September 18 to September 24.
This year’s theme is Books Unite Us.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials, and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals.
Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ authors. According to a report from PEN America, more than 40% of recent book bans are the result of directives by state officials or elected lawmakers, an “unprecedented shift” from past book bans which were typically initiated by local community members.
Banned Books Week is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and raises awareness about threats to free speech. The American Library Association has been celebrating Banned Books Week since 1982.
