Banned Books

A group to discuss banned or challenged books and related topics such as censorship, intellectual freedom, privacy issues within publishing, etc. Please keep discussion respectful and open to the opinions of others, which may not be the same as your own.

We will focus each year on Banned Books Week, an annual USA-based celebration in September and October.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution

“Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.”ALA Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A

“Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.”—Article 3, ALA Library Bill of Rights

TopicTopicMessagesLast Message 
Pinned — Stand Against Book Bans5 unread / 5aspirit, October 2022
Idaho Public Libraries Restricting Public Access to Comply to State Censorship1 unread / 1aspirit, May 20
Censoring of US Students' Research and Enrichment1 unread / 1aspirit, April 13
Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 20232 unread / 2aspirit, April 13
Georgia GOP Senators Target Public Libraries With New Bill10 unread / 10clamairy, March 4
What It’s Like to Have Your Book Banned9 unread / 9LolaWalser, February 21
Here we go with the book burning, now2 unread / 2PocheFamily, February 10
School board president sworn in on banned books3 unread / 3Karen5Lund, December 2023
School library removes all books before 20084 unread / 4Cecrow, October 2023
Scholastic colludes with book-banners to censor socially liberal content2 unread / 2clamairy, October 2023
Banned Book Week 20231 unread / 1aspirit, October 2023
A Washington Library Offers Teens and YAs in the USA 'Books UnBanned'3 unread / 3aspirit, October 2023
Libraries in political crosshairs2 unread / 2aspirit, October 2023
Salman Rushdie and The Satanic Verses15 unread / 15Cecrow, August 2023
What is Social Credit and is it Censorship?7 unread / 7Cecrow, August 2023
Illinois bans book bans3 unread / 3lilithcat, June 2023
'A Utah parent says the Bible contains porn and should be removed from school libraries'12 unread / 12aspirit, June 2023
Florida Book Censorship46 unread / 46Cecrow, May 2023
Target Bullied into Removing Books from Stores2 unread / 2pnppl, May 2023
Scholastic makes book offer contingent on censoring mention of racism3 unread / 3muumi, May 2023
News Headlines141 unread / 141Cecrow, May 2023
Venting About Censorship2 unread / 2Cecrow, April 2023
'Texas county weighs closing local library after federal judge orders banned books returned to circulation'2 unread / 2aspirit, April 2023
Scrooge McDuck Stories4 unread / 4aspirit, February 2023
Roald Dahl's children's books; Once banned, now bastardized5 unread / 5supercell, February 2023
Group Maintenance2 unread / 2aspirit, November 2022
Is this child-safety law censorship?35 unread / 35aspirit, November 2022
Arrest for Sharing a Book?7 unread / 7aspirit, October 2022
Banned Books Week 20228 unread / 8aspirit, September 2022
Banned LGBT+ books7 unread / 7aspirit, September 2022
A New York Library Offers Teens+ in the USA Free 'Books UnBanned'4 unread / 4aspirit, September 2022
Banning religions' holy books4 unread / 4aspirit, August 2022
LibraryThing List2 unread / 2aspirit, July 2022
Margaret Atwood2 unread / 2lorax, May 2022
The irony of Banned Books Week5 unread / 5elenchus, May 2022
Challenged & Banned Comics2 unread / 2aspirit, May 2022
Banned Books Week 20217 unread / 7aspirit, April 2022
Roderick Hunt, The Blue Eye1 unread / 1Cynfelyn, April 2022
Quest to Read Banned Books4 unread / 4aspirit, April 2022
Women's History Month1 unread / 1aspirit, March 2022
Sitewide Reading Event: Maus by Art Spiegelman1 unread / 1aspirit, January 2022
Statements on Book Censorship1 unread / 1aspirit, December 2021
Coalition Links and Other Miscellany4 unread / 4aspirit, June 2021
Banned Books Week 20204 unread / 4aspirit, April 2021
This one time I read...2 unread / 2aspirit, January 2021
Group Announcement and Notes5 unread / 5aspirit, January 2021
Library Closures13 unread / 13margaretbartley, November 2020
Banned by Amazon7 unread / 7margaretbartley, August 2020
Proposed Book Banning Bill in Missouri Could Imprison Librarians6 unread / 6lorax, January 2020
Banned Books Week 20191 unread / 1aspirit, September 2019
Kansas DOC's Banned Book List2 unread / 2aspirit, June 2019
Barcelona school removes 200 sexist children's books3 unread / 3cpg, April 2019
Whaaat?30 unread / 30aspirit, March 2019
George Orwell's classic novel 19842 unread / 2jojoasdwer123, January 2019
Banned Books Week: In 201710 unread / 10elenchus, January 2019
Why was Bridge to Terrebithia banned?14 unread / 14jojoasdwer123, January 2019
link to the ALA site in the group intro is invalid2 unread / 2lilithcat, October 2018
Kathy Acker’s Blood and Guts in High School, Plus Two4 unread / 4LolaWalser, September 2018
Banned Books Week 2018: September 23 - 291 unread / 1Karen5Lund, September 2018
Banned Books Week - 20161 unread / 1varielle, September 2016
Mein Kampf11 unread / 11MaureenRoy, June 2015
Banned Books Week 2014 : September 21 - 2723 unread / 23lquilter, October 2014
How many have?85 unread / 85mamzel, September 2014
Banning people in the library46 unread / 46weener, October 2013
Banned Books Week 2012 (Sept 30- Oct 6) ReadaThing?16 unread / 16Ameise1, October 2012
The satanic verses8 unread / 8LucindaLibri, October 2012
Banned Books Month 20124 unread / 4LucindaLibri, October 2012
Famous Authors’ Funniest Responses to Their Books Being Banned2 unread / 2Sandydog1, October 2012
what should be banned,censored,frowned upon by society,ect.?60 unread / 60LolaWalser, August 2012
Rohinton Mistry3 unread / 3LucindaLibri, July 2012
"My Brother Sam is Dead"1 unread / 1Kaylasreads, May 2012
The Golden Compass challenges?11 unread / 11sweeter, March 2012
Educational tools "When the Censor Comes"1 unread / 1Nickelini, March 2012
Book banning in practice.7 unread / 7Anager, January 2012
Banning/Burning and exercise in futility49 unread / 49JimThomson, December 2011
Banned Books Week 2011 -- 9/24-10/18 unread / 8theapparatus, September 2011
Chris Crutcher6 unread / 6DragonFreak, May 2011
Mark Twain in the News -- Again2 unread / 2rreis, January 2011
Brave New World Challenged in Seattle5 unread / 5lilithcat, November 2010
Would you censor your own child's reading?100 unread / 100Jesse_wiedinmyer, October 2010
Banned Books Week 201012 unread / 12kgriffith, October 2010
Pentagon Burns first run of controversial memoir15 unread / 15reading_fox, September 2010
Any idea how many you've read?60 unread / 60knfmn, August 2010
A Locker-Library of Banned Books11 unread / 11knfmn, July 2010
Obscenity v Pornography25 unread / 25bookmonk8888, June 2010
Bone Ban2 unread / 2lilithcat, April 2010
Toddler Book Banned in Texas5 unread / 5ZoharLaor, February 2010
Merriam Webster's 10th edition to be banned10 unread / 10bardsfingertips, February 2010
You are dictator. What will you ban?49 unread / 49Booksloth, January 2010
Which book would you pick?35 unread / 35brownellk, October 2009
Librarian's Response5 unread / 5lilithcat, October 2009
School Librarian in Norman, OK2 unread / 2jennieg, October 2009
Challenge (Banning) Map2 unread / 2clamairy, September 2009
Sensitivity - The New Banning?9 unread / 9stephmo, September 2009
Banned Book a week1 unread / 1yogajan, September 2009
did reading a banned book ever corrupt you?66 unread / 66CliffordDorset, September 2009
Banned Books vs. Required Reading47 unread / 47Amtep, August 2009
Child-torture stories: protected by 1st amendment?28 unread / 28skoobdo, July 2009
ALA's 2008 Most Frequently Challenged Books5 unread / 5PhoenixTerran, July 2009
This Year's Banned and Challenged Books46 unread / 46TLCrawford, June 2009
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