This September 27 through October 4, observe Banned Books Week – the national celebration of the freedom to read. First launched in 1982 by the American Library Association and others, Banned Books Week responded to a surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.
Though many of us think of book banning and burning as from another time, sadly, attacks against freedom of expression continue today. According to the American Library Association, there were more than 400 books challenged in 2007.
During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the issue of censorship by hosting a variety of events.
This year, why not celebrate Banned Books Week by reading a banned book? Check out DegreeDirectory, which summarizes 25 of the most controversial banned books and tells you where you can read them -- for free online.
(Thanks to iLibrarian for this tip.)
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