Join us in celebrating Banned Books Week in 2025 from October 5-11!
Launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores, Banned Books Week has been celebrated by the American Library Association, and later Banned Books Coalition, every year since. The theme for 2025 is Censorship Is So 1984: Read For Your Rights, focusing on George Orwell's cautionary tale 1984 which serves as a reminder to all that censorship has no place in our modern society.
Book Challenges have been sharply on the rise since 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, with 72% of those challenges initiated by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, pressure groups accounted for between 8-14% of total titles challenged per year. Fortunately, librarians, teachers, students and community members have been speaking out against book challenges by highlighting the value of the First Amendment right to free speech, the right to express and seek out ideas, and the value of free and open access to information.
How can you defend against Book Challenges?
- Write to your local representative. Find their contact information and let them know how much you support libraries and do not support banning books.
- Pay attention to local board meeting agendas including library, school, and local government board meetings. If you see something on the agenda that sounds like a book challenge or book banning, attend and speak out against banning books.
- Report any censorship that happens in your area or institution to the Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Want to check out a Banned Book?
We've created a list of banned books to get you started! Stop in to the library for even more recommendations.
Banned Books Giveaway
Tuesday, October 7, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
PROGRAM ROOM | 316 SOUTH MAIN STREET
Come join us for Banned Books Week 2025 by picking out a banned book to take home with you! Books given away do not come from our library collection, the banned books are donations to the library or purchased for this giveaway. We will offer a variety to choose from so that everyone can find something that appeals to them and is age appropriate.
The State of America's Libraries: A Snapshot of 2024
"As the organized attempts to censor materials in libraries persist, we must continue to unite and protect the freedom to read and support our library workers especially at a time when our nation’s libraries are facing threats to funding and library professionals are facing threats to their livelihood." —ALA President Cindy Hohl
ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States. A division of ALA is the Office of Intellectual Freedom which is charged with implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association’s basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. The goal of the office is to educate librarians and the general public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.
PEN America
Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.
Unite Against Book Bans
Unite Against Book Bans is a national initiative to empower readers everywhere to stand together in the fight against censorship. Share resources from the UABB Action Toolkit with your community and help defend the right to read.