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Banned Books Week 2008

Banned books week, by Susan Rubinstein, Balkin Information Services

9/27/08  – 10/4/08

 Observed in the United States since 1982, Banned Books Week “celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.”  www.ALA.org

Here is a list of the “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007”

1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2) "The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language

4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
Reasons:  Religious Viewpoint

5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
Reasons:  Racism

6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou
Reasons:  Sexually Explicit

9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris
Reasons:  Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons:  Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Off the list this year, are two books by author Toni Morrison. "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved," both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

The most frequently challenged authors of 2007

1) Robert Cormier
2) Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
3) Mark Twain
4) Toni Morrison
5) Philip Pullman
6) Kevin Henkes
7) Lois Lowry
8) Chris Crutcher
9) Lauren Myracle
10) Joann Sfar

For more information, see: "Banned Books Week Basics," American Library Association, July 29, 2008. (Accessed September 18, 2008)

 

Banned Books Week: Freedom to Read

This article was originally published in September, 2004 in The Daily Record (Rochester’s legal and business newspaper) in honor of Banned Books Week. It is still relevant today. Here is it again. It has not been updated. Funding for libraries is still being cut; people are still trying to ban books.

LIBRARY BRIEFS: Banned Books Week – Celebrate the Freedom to Read

            By Ruth G. Balkin

The freedom to read.

In Western New York and especially in Rochester this has truly been free for many years. The library system is one of the most visible and accessible county services to residents.

Freedom to Read:

            The local newspaper

            The latest mystery novel

            A child’s pop-up book

            The Encyclopedia of Science and Technology

Freedom to Read:

            The Manhattan phone book

            New York State Statutes

Freedom to Read:

            The Idiot’s Guide to Choosing a Dog

            The Monroe County Budget

            Encyclopedia of Associations

            Literary Marketplace

Freedom to Read:

Banned in the U.S.A.: a Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries

            The Myth about Reference Librarians

            American Library Association Guide to Information Access

Freedom to Learn:

            A new career

            To start a business

            For an advanced degree

            To pursue a hobby

            To read

            A new language

            About the world

            About the community

            About a culture

            To use a computer

            To become an American citizen

Freedom to Be:

            Successful

            Productive

            Healthy

            Happy

            Smart

            Educated

            Informed

            Entertained

            Whatever you choose

            Whatever you want to be

Freedom to Not Be:

            Housebound

            Blind

            Disabled

            Useless

            Unproductive

            Illiterate

            Ignorant

            

Freedom to Make:

            Decisions

            Choices

            Friends

            Connections

            A contribution

            

Freedom to Lose?

            A handy place to something up

            Your research source for your business

            Knowledge

            Books on tape for long commutes

            New books

            Choices

            County-wide library card

            Access

            

Freedom to Lose?

            Saturday and Sunday hours

            Weekday hours

            The bookmobile service

Programs

Evening hours

            Telephone reference service

            Locations: Winton, Rundel, Central, Sully, Monroe, East Irondequoit, Henrietta, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton…

            Locations: Buffalo Central, Central, East Delavan, Crane Branch, Dudley, Grand Island, Audubon, Collins, Brighton, Hamburg…

How many more freedoms will we lose? Let’s not lose this freedom vital to so many people. 

$1.5 million is a lot. So is a population of over 735,000*. But two dollars a person is not a lot; neither is five dollars per family*. What can you do to restore funding?

.                      

Every year the American Library Association and other library associations sponsor Banned Books Week. This year it is from September 21 – 28.

*Number of households in Monroe County: 286,512; population figure from Census data, 2000.

Total population of Erie County: 950,000. Total number of households: 380,873; family households 243,359. Population figures are from 2002 Census data. Local governments in general are facing difficult financial challenges. Erie County’s library system has not had budget cuts for 2002. The 2003 budget is not finalized yet. The library has used early retirement and energy efficiency projects to help offset increased health insurance and retirement costs going into 2003.

Their estimated costs going into 2003 would have increased $1.8 million. Through these measures, they’ve reduced the total cost increase to just under $800,000.

(This information was obtained by a phone call to the Business Division of the Central Library and an on-site visit and talk with a reference librarian at the Brighton Memorial Library.)

(Information on Erie County came from Census data and phone interviews with reference librarians at the Buffalo Central Library and a phone interview with Ken Stone, Deputy Director Chief Financial Officer, [email protected], www.buffalolib.org., Buffalo and Erie County Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203.)

Book reviews

Watch this section for book reviews.