Skip to Content

Banned Books: Celebrate the Freedom to Read – 2016

Friday, September 9th, 2016
Banned Books exhibit in Lockwood Memorial Library
Banned Books display in Lockwood Memorial Library

Catcher in the RyeTo Kill a MockingbirdHarry Potter… What’s your favorite book?  Chances are good that someone has tried to ban it!

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the value of free and open access to information and celebrates the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. This year, Banned Books Week will run from September 25- October 1, 2016.

According to the American Library Association, more than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982. There were 311 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2014, and many more go unreported. The books on display in the Lockwood lobby have been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools at various times over the years.

The books featured in the display may be checked out at the Lockwood Library Circulation Desk. For additional copies of challenged books, search the UB Libraries Catalog; to learn more about why a particular book was banned or challenged, visit the website Banned and Challenged Classics.