Banned Books Week offers an opportunity for ALL readers to voice their concerns, celebrate free expression and show their communities the importance of intellectual freedom. Share how you're celebrating Banned Books Week with the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) at oif@ala.org; your ideas may inspire other people!
Other ways to become involved:
Attend a Banned Books Week event! The duPont-Ball Library will be displaying a variety of banned and challenged books during the week. Please feel free to come browse through them or check them out to read, as well as talking with any of the librarians and staff about these titles.
Help spread the word! Use the hashtag #bannedbooksweek to declare your right to read.
Speak out! Write letters to the editor, your public library director and your local school principal supporting the freedom to read. Talk to your neighbors and friends about why everyone should be allowed to choose for themselves and their families what they read. Encourage your governor, city council and mayor to proclaim Banned Books Week in your community.
Exercise your reading rights. Check out a favorite banned book. Encourage your book group to read and discuss one of the books, or give one of your favorite books as a gift.
Join the Freedom to Read Foundation. It's dedicated to the legal and financial defense of intellectual freedom, especially in libraries.
Participate in the Banned Books Virtual Read-Out. Readers from across the country and around the world can participate virtually by uploading videos of themselves reading from their favorite banned/challenged book. Check out the Virtual Read-Out page from the American Library Association for more information. Or post your videos to be featured on Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out YouTube channel.
