Reading freely during Banned Books Week

I can’t hide it: I love access to information, and I love providing access to others.

Part of providing access to information includes letting folks decide for themselves which information will meet their needs. I sometimes have to remind myself that I don’t have to act as the filter for someone else: every person can do their own filtering.

Banned Books Week is about just that: celebrating our rights as readers to choose for ourselves which books we want to read—it’s a privilege guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

In 2008, the American Library Association (ALA) logged over 500 challenges to books. In other words, somebody thought their morals and ethics should override the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech. Of those 500+ challenges, the ALA has listed, for awareness purposes, the ten most-challenged books.

TeachingBooks.net has compiled—and put in one place—online resources about the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008. Now educators can use these multimedia interviews, audio excerpts, and lesson plans to teach about and celebrate the freedom to read.

For the last three years in a row, And Tango Makes Three was #1 on the most-challenged list. I love to re-read this #1 book in celebration of my freedom to read.

I’m excited to participate in Banned Books Week festivities occurring during September 26-October 3, 2009. But even more so, I hope folks use our Intellectual Freedom Resources the other 51 weeks of the year, too.

Let me know what you’re freely reading!

Posted by Carin Bringelson, MLS, Information Manager