Since 1982, an organization called Banned Books Week has annually promoted a weeklong celebration of free speech at the end of every September. Sponsored and supported by several anti-censorship groups and library associations, notably the American Library Association, American Booksellers Association, and the PEN American Center, BBW offers ways for those affected by censorship to seek help and support. It does an impressive job of showing how much information is available on the always-controversial act of book banning, especially for those who may think it’s not such a big deal.

This year, BBW runs from September 24 through October 1 and offers scheduled reading events across the country, as well as calls for readers to protest by reading and talking about banned books throughout the week. One of this year’s main events is a weeklong “Virtual Read-Out” where book lovers are encouraged to record videos of themselves reading banned or challenged books and post them to a designated YouTube channel. So far the read-out has gained thousands of views, approximately 200 posted readings, and even a few videos from celebrities and authors including Whoopi Goldberg, Judy Blume, and Chris Crutcher.

“(Censorship is) sending a message that books are dangerous…that’s so sad,” said Judy Blume, whose work is frequently challenged. “Children are the real losers when books are censored.”

BBW’s website also has a feature called “Mapping Censorship” that, using Google Maps and information from the American Library Association, tracks instances of book banning throughout the country. Every occurrence of censorship is represented by a dot on the map that, when clicked, pulls up a paragraph explaining what was banned, why, and how it was resolved. This is a compelling way to show how widespread and frequent book censorship really is in America.

http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/