BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — It is true. There are places that still ban books. Communities that are so backwards thinking that students are not allowed — or not supposed to be allowed — to read certain works of literature.
But that is not the case in Boca Raton, where the Boca Raton Library is celebrating “Banned Books Week” by encouraging kids to read books that might make it on a banned list.
According to the library system:
The Boca Raton Public Library is joining, libraries, schools and bookstores from coast to coast to battle censorship and celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, an annual event highlighting the importance of the First Amendment and the right to choose reading materials without restriction.
According to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), there were 326 reported attempts to remove materials from libraries in 2011. Banned Books Week reminds Americans that the ability to read, speak, think and express ourselves freely is a right.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week and features special events and exhibits to learn about the power of literature and the harms of censorship. A Virtual Read Out on YouTube has participants proclaiming the virtues of their favorite banned books to the world. Past participants have included highly acclaimed and/or frequently challenged authors such as Jay Asher, Judy Blume, Chris Crutcher, and Whoopi Goldberg.
The Boca Raton Spanish River Library has a special display of challenged or banned books. Nationally, the most frequently challenged books of 2011 include:
- Ø The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
- Ø Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Ø Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily Von Ziegesar
- Ø To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
For more information on Banned Books Week, book challenges and censorship, please visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books website at www.ala.org/bbooks, or www.bannedbooksweek.org.
The Boca Raton Public Library provides outstanding library services, resources, and programs that meet the educational, recreational, cultural, and informational needs of library users. For more information about the Boca Raton Public Library, please visit http://www.bocalibrary.org/
