This week, libraries across the country are "celebrating" Banned Books Week. Beginning in 1982, the American Library Association, along with booksellers, publisher and authors, has set aside the last week in September to call attention to those books which individuals and groups have attempted to censor, sometimes successfully. See Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer for a fascinating article about Banned Books Week.
Tonight (Wednesday, October 1) at 7:30 here at the Parkway Central Library, Gene Shay, host of WXPN's The Folk Show, with local artists, musicians, actors, and TV personalities will read from their favorite censored volumes in a program co-sponsored with the American Civil Liberties Union.
Here are links to just two of the titles that were reported among the most frequently challenged books in the United States last year. Huck Finn, in particular, is a perennial visitor to this list. The Free Library owns these titles, and many others that have attracted attention through the years in keeping with the library's mission to make "information and resources freely and easily available, providing the freedom to explore ideas without fear of judgement or censure." (from Materials Selection Policy)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Have a question for Free Library staff? Please submit it to our Ask a Librarian page and receive a response within two business days.