Banned Books Week

September 27–October 3

Banned Books Week (September 27–October 3, 2020) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Banned Books Week was launched in the 1980s, a time of increased challenges, organized protests, and the Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982) Supreme Court case, which ruled that school officials can’t ban books in libraries simply because of their content.

The 2019 Top Most Challenged Books include:

KPL has all of these books, and more challenged and banned books in our collection.

For more information about Banned Books Week and how to report a challenge, visit The American Library Association’s website.