Banned Books Week: Frequently Asked Questions

We are kicking off Banned Books Week with this guest blog post by Communications Assistant, Siddhi Nair.

According to the Library Bill of Rights, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfilment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” We at UTA Libraries celebrate  intellectual freedom, including the freedom to read and believe access to ideas is fundamental to learning.

Owing to this, the American Library Association (ALA) works to make it a point that people have access to information.

They prepare lists of challenged books based on reports they receive from libraries, schools, and media. 

When a person or a group of individuals object to certain materials from the curriculum or library, those are then restricted or removed. The aim is to restrict access to the more people. But, thanks to librarians and other citizens, these challenges are often ineffectual and the materials continue to be available for the public. 

 As per the Office of Intellectual Freedom, the top 3 reasons are: 

1. Material was considered to be “sexually explicit” 
2. Material contained “offensive language” 
3. Material was “unsuited to any age groups” 

The central idea behind challenging books is to protect people, usually children, from discovering information or ideas that are "difficult."

There is no specific kind of people who have been known to do it, but different kinds of people have attempted to inflict a ban on various materials. People or groups who suppress those whose beliefs do not align with theirs may challenge certain books.

NO. ALA opposes censorship and tries to make the information freely accessible to people.

For more information about BANNED BOOKS WEEK, visit the American Library Association website.