4 ways to join Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week, sponsored by the Banned Books Week Coalition, is an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and challenges censorship. This year’s events are from Oct. 5–11.
According to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, in 2024 there were 2,452 unique book titles targeted for censorship in academic, school and public libraries—far exceeding the annual average of 273 title challenges—as well as 821 demands to censor library books, materials and resources.
Banned Books Week spotlights these challenges and celebrates the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. The theme of this year’s event is “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.”
Want to get involved? Here are 4 ways you can celebrate our right to read.
1. Visit our display of banned books at the Norlin Library East Entrance between Oct. 1–15 and check out a book.
2. Stop by the Engineering Center Lobby on Oct. 7 between 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. to learn more about banned books from a librarian and pick up a complimentary copy of a banned title while supplies last.
3. Stop by the Norlin East Entrance on Oct. 8 between 2 p.m.– 4 p.m. during the Culture Crawl to chat with a librarian about banned books and pick up a complimentary copy of a banned title while supplies last.
4. Explore our banned books guide to see the most frequently challenged books and check one out to read.
