Now More Important Than Ever: Understanding Censorship, Fighting Book Challenges, and Celebrating Banned Books Week

Although censorship is an international problem with a long history, American public and school libraries have faced increased censorship efforts from parents and politicians concerning materials available to children over the past few years. Just this past year, book challenges resulted in heated debates and book removals from the library shelves across the U.S. Now more than ever, it is important to understand censorship, keep abreast of recent legislation and developments, fight book challenges, and celebrate Banned Books Week. While there have been some setbacks in fighting book challenges, library advocates are encouraged by recent success stories. The American Library Association provides resources and strategies to help libraries become “challenge-ready,” and celebrating Banned Books Week is a great way to promote banned books and fight censorship.