Banned Books Week (October 1-7) is a celebration of our freedom to read and a time when we reckon with and push back on the record number of attacks on one of our most basic liberties: the right to read and write about any topic along with our core values of diversity, intellectual freedom, social responsibility, and the public good.
This year’s theme for Banned Books Week is “Let Freedom Read.” The Sacramento State University Library invites you to engage in academic exploration without limits. The choice to read is constitutionally protected. Join us in celebrating this right and pushing back on censorship by hanging our limited-edition poster – found at the User Services desk of your favorite University Library.
The American Library Association (ALA) today released new data documenting 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 challenges reported in 2021.
A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2021. Of those titles, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.
https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/03/record-book-bans-2022
Read the California State University Library statement: The Freedom to Read is Essential to the Mission of the California State University