ALA OIF BLOG
Nanette Perez | September 26, 2012

Award-winning broadcast journalist Bill Moyers discusses book banning and the harms of censorship in a new video essay to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week is an annual event sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) that recognizes the importance of the freedom to read. Both Bill and Judith Davidson Moyers were named Honorary Co-Chairs of this year’s celebration, September 30-October 6.

In his essay titled “The Bane of Banned Books,” Moyers talks about how libraries provided his first opportunity to indulge his love of reading and learning, and shares his dismay over efforts to remove books from schools and libraries in modern times. The video can be viewed online.

Moyers will also discuss book censorship and Banned Books Week, among other topics, in a “Live Chat with Bill Moyers” on Monday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. ET. The live chat can be found online. To participate in the chat, comments and questions can be left on the site or via Twitter @BillMoyers.

Read on…

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has rallied librarians, booksellers, authors, publishers, teachers, and readers of all types to celebrate and defend the freedom to read. As we commemorate 30 years of Banned Books Week and enter our 31st year of protecting readers’ rights, ALA is pleased to unveil this timeline of significant banned and challenged books.

All information sourced from the 2010 Banned Books Week resource guide, Banned Books: Celebrating Our Freedom to Read, edited by Robert P. Doyle (ALA, 2010); the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom; and additional content supplied by Angela Maycock, Assistant Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

ALA OIF BLOG
Nanette Perez | September 4, 2012

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, the Office for Intellectual Freedom is coordinating a “50 State Salute to Banned Books Week.” The “50 State Salute” will form the core of ALA’s participation in this year’s Banned Books Virtual Read-Out and will consist of videos from ALA Chapters proclaiming the importance of the freedom to read. Many ALA Chapters have agreed to participate and we hope that your organization will join us by creating a video. Please note that the “50 State Salute” is for organizational participation only. All individuals wishing to participate in Banned Books Week should check out the Banned Books Virtual Read-Out page for information on ways you can participate. The deadline to submit video for the “50 State Salute” is Friday, September 28, 2012.

AMERICAN LIBRARIES (ALA NEWS)
Jonathan Kelley | June 5, 2012

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), via its Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund, has announced eight $1,000 grants to libraries, schools and other organizations in support of Banned Books Week events. Banned Books Week, which will take place Sept. 30­–Oct. 6, 2012, celebrates the freedom to access information, while drawing attention to the harms of censorship. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, the third year of FTRF’s Judith Krug Fund grants and the first year that FTRF is an official Banned Books Week sponsor organization.

Recipients of this year’s grants are the ACLU of Pennsylvania, California Polytechnic State University, City Lit Theater Company (Chicago), Friends of the Talkeetna (Alaska) Public Library, Judith’s Reading Room, Lawrence (Kan.) Public Library, St. Catharine College (Ky.) and Simon Sanchez High School (Guam).

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