Celebrate Banned Books Week September 26 - October 3

Can you imagine a high school curriculum or a public library that does not include classics like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and "To Kill a Mockingbird?” Since 1990, the American Library Association (ALA) has recorded more than 10,000 challenges to these and other books, including 513 in 2008. Challenges are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others. Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves.

In support of the right to choose books freely for ourselves, the Ridgefield Library is joining the ALA in recognizing Banned Books Week September 26^th through October 3^rd. This year's observance commemorates the most basic freedom in a democratic society—the freedom to read freely—and encourages us not to take this freedom for granted. Here at the Ridgefield Library we will celebrate with educational displays of banned and challenged books throughout the building. Take a look – you might find a few of your favorites. For more information about specific banned or challenged titles, check the Resource Guide at the Fiction Desk.