American Library Association: Sponsors Banned Books Week

The American Library Association (ALA) sponsored the banned books week; which protects the freedom to read and viability of the First amendment.

Banning Books week draws the public’s attention to book bannings across America by various types of organizations. Held at the end of September, banned books week emphasizes the importance of free access to information and underscores the harm of censorship by informing about attempted and actual book bannings throughout the United States.

Banned Books week is based on the preservation of intellectual freedom, even if the ideas and content are unorthodox or unpopular.  Many of the books are considered literature, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. These books and others were condemned for a variety of reasons such as drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to the age group involved.

The Issue of freedom of speech, however, demands that we allow all books to be available because no one decide for others what they should not read.

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is an organization with close ties to the American Library Association.  The Freedom to Read Foundation performs the legal work required to fight book bannings in the courts and to protect our freedom of speech right and our freedom to information.