INFO - Banned Books Week (October 1 - 7, 2023) - Research Guides at Honolulu Community College

About Banned Books Week

Save the Date banner to Banned Books Week: October 1-7, 2023

Celebrating Your Freedom to Read!
October 1 - 7, 2023 Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States. For more info on banned books and intellectual freedom, visit https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned or https://bannedbooksweek.org/.

Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022
ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 book challenges reported in 2021. Of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship, the most challenged and reasons cited for censoring the books are listed below.

eBooks on Censorship

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True Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries
Publication Date: 2011
Intellectual freedom is a core value of librarianship, but fighting to keep controversial materials on the shelves can sometimes feel like a lonely battle. Those facing censorship challenges can find support and inspiration in this book, which compiles dozens of stories from library front lines.
Banned in the U. S. A.
Publication Date: 2002
A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. This expanded edition presents a thorough analysis of the current state of book banning in schools and public libraries, offering ready reference material on major incidents, legal cases, and annotated entries on the most frequently challenged books.
Dirt for Art's Sake: Books on Trial from Madame Bovary to Lolita
Publication Date: 2006
This title recounts the most visible of modern obscenity trials involving scandalous books and their authors.
Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath
Publication Date: 2008
Few books have caused as big a stir as John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath."
Teaching Banned Books
Publication Date: 2001
There's a win-win way of teaching banned books, and Pat Scales shares it in this brilliant handbook for educators and school librarians who serve today's young readers.

Why are books banned?

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on POLITICAL GROUNDS
Call Number: Z658.U5 K37 2006
Reference Collection, 1st Floor

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on RELIGIOUS GROUNDS
Call Number: Z659 .B35 2006
Reference Collection, 1st Floor

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on SEXUAL GROUNDS
Call Number: Z659 .B35 2006
Reference Collection, 1st Floor

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on SOCIAL GROUNDS
Call Number: Z659 .B35 2006
Reference Collection, 1st Floor

Read a Banned Book

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Call Number: PS3562.E353 T6 2006
Reasons for banning: racism, offensive language, unsuited to age group
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Call Number: PS3551.N464 Z466 2009
Reason for banning: references to lesbianism, premarital sex, cohabitation, pornography, and violence.
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Call Number: PS3537.A426 C3 2001
Reasons for banning: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Call Number: PZ7.R79835 Har 1998
Reason for banning: book promotes witchcraft
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Call Number: Honolulu CC: Popular Collection (2nd floor)
Reasons for banning: depicts sodomy rape in graphic detail and uses vulgar language. [unavailable - currently lost]
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Call Number: PS3537.T3234 O2 2002
Reasons for banning : derogatory text towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.