BANNED BOOKS WEEK (BBW) Celebrating the Freedom to Read September 27 - October 4, 2008

BBW Video Click here to watch a short video created by students and uploaded to schooltube.com

Click here to watch a short video created by students and uploaded to schooltube.com

Why Celebrate BBW? “ BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular . . .” “ Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature…” ala.org

“ BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular . . .”

“ Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature…”

ala.org

What's the difference between a challenge and a banning? “ A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.” “ A banning is the removal of those materials.” ala.org

“ A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.”

“ A banning is the removal of those materials.”

ala.org

Why are books challenged? According to the The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books, Challenges by Initiator, Institution, Type, and Year , the top three reasons, in order, for challenging material are the material is considered to be “sexually explicit” contain “offensive language,” and be “unsuited to age group.” ala.org ala.org

According to the The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books, Challenges by Initiator, Institution, Type, and Year , the top three reasons, in order, for challenging material are the material is considered to be “sexually explicit” contain “offensive language,” and be “unsuited to age group.”

ala.org

ala.org

Who challenges books? “ Throughout history, more and different kinds of people and groups of all persuasions … have attempted… to suppress anything that conflicts with or anyone who disagrees with their own beliefs.” ala.org

“ Throughout history, more and different kinds of people and groups of all persuasions … have attempted… to suppress anything that conflicts with or anyone who disagrees with their own beliefs.”

ala.org

What are the most common reasons that books are banned? Sexual content Offensive Language Political grounds Religious grounds Violence

Sexual content

Offensive Language

Political grounds

Religious grounds

Violence

Challenge Example #1

Challenge Example #2

Challenge Example #3

Challenge Example #4

Challenge Example #5

Challenge Example #6

How is the list of most challenged books tabulated? “ The American Library Association (ALA) collects information from two sources: newspapers and reports submitted by individuals, some of whom use the Challenge Database Form. All challenges are compiled into a database.” ala.org

“ The American Library Association (ALA) collects information from two sources: newspapers and reports submitted by individuals, some of whom use the Challenge Database Form. All challenges are compiled into a database.”

ala.org

Free Access to Libraries for Minors An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights “ Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states, "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views." “ Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” ala.org

BBW Quiz Click here to take an online BBW quiz and test your knowledge of challenged and banned books.

Click here to take an online BBW quiz and test your knowledge of challenged and banned books.

What is Censorship? “ The suppression of ideas and information that certain individuals and groups find objectionable or dangerous.” ala.org

“ The suppression of ideas and information that certain individuals and groups find objectionable or dangerous.”

ala.org

FIRST AMENDMENT “ 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 ala.org

“ 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 ala.org

NOTABLE FIRST AMENDMENT CASES Foundations of Free Expression: Historic Cases The Right to Read Freely Freedom of Expression in Schools Minors' First Amendment Rights

Foundations of Free Expression: Historic Cases

The Right to Read Freely

Freedom of Expression in Schools

Minors' First Amendment Rights

Intellectual Freedom “ Intellectual freedom is a human right, as defined by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Article 19 states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” wikipedia.org

“ Intellectual freedom is a human right, as defined by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Article 19 states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

wikipedia.org

QUOTES ABOUT BANNED BOOKS "If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." - Benjamin Franklin, 1730 "Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance." -Lyndon Baines Johnson "Every burned book enlightens the world."- Ralph Waldo Emerson "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." - Voltaire http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/400684/top_11_uncensored_quotes_about_banned.html

"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed." - Benjamin Franklin, 1730

"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance." -Lyndon Baines Johnson

"Every burned book enlightens the world."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." - Voltaire

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/400684/top_11_uncensored_quotes_about_banned.html