“I believe that censorship is the enemy of
freedom.” — Ava DuVernay
Since 2020, the number of documented attempts to censor books has risen significantly, according to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Attempts to censor books in 2023 reached the highest level ever tracked by the organization, with 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship. Titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47 percent of those targeted.
Against this backdrop we observe Banned Books Week 2024, which runs through Sept. 28. Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools and bookstores. The theme for this year’s edition is “Freed Between the Lines” in recognition of the freedom found in the pages of books and the need to defend that freedom from censorship, as detailed at bannedbooksweek.org.
In a statement on the website, award-winning filmmaker and Banned Book Weeks honorary chair Ava DuVernay said restricting access to books promotes ignorance.
“By banning books, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from the past and to envision a braver future. Books have the power to open minds and build bridges. This is why certain forces do not want the masses to engage with books. They fear progress and growth in new, bold directions,” DuVernay commented. “For this reason, Banned Books Week is vitally important. It is a celebration of our right to access varied voices and to engage with ideas that challenge and champion us. I am honored to be selected as honorary chair of Banned Book Week for this election year, and I stand with my fellow readers, fellow writers and fellow advocates around the world who refuse to let voices be silenced.”
A new state law took effect at the start of the year that disqualifies Illinois public libraries from state funding if they restrict or ban materials because of “partisan or doctrinal” disapproval.
“We are not saying that every book should be in every single library,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who also serves as state librarian and was the driving force behind the legislation. “What this law does is it says, ‘Let’s trust our experience and education of our librarians to decide what books should be in circulation.’ ”
In our pursuit of the highest journalistic standards of truth and accuracy, we stand with librarians and all those on the side of open access to information and against censorship.
“We know library professionals throughout the country are committed to preserving our freedom to choose what we read and what our children read, even though many librarians face criticism and threats to their livelihood and safety,” said American Library Association President Cindy Hohl in statement. “We urge everyone to join librarians in defending the freedom to read. We know people don’t like being told what they are allowed to read, and we’ve seen communities come together to fight back and protect their libraries and schools from the censors.”
