Conservative vs. Liberal Book Bans
Column by Peter Derk December 23, 2021
Book bans: why do conservatives do it, why do liberals do it, and why should they both knock it off?
6 Banned Books to Celebrate Banned Books Week
Column by Emmanuel Nataf September 24, 2021
This year’s Banned Books Week runs on the theme “Books unite us. Censorship divides us.” These six written works demonstrate exactly why it’s important that we celebrate our right to read.
8 Reasons We Should Listen To Book Banners
Column by Peter Derk
Sometimes a friendly ear can save a book.
Library Love: A Rough Timeline of Lost Libraries
Column by Leah Dearborn November 17, 2015
From Iraq to Los Angeles, countless libraries have been lost to war, fire, and “progress.”
ALA List of 2014's Most Frequently Challenged Books Released
News by Raine Winters April 15, 2015
Take a look at this past year's most controversial books.
Cops Cool with Banned Book Distribution
News by Peter Derk April 30, 2014
Police were called to respond to the handing out of Sherman Alexie's 'Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian' on World Book Night.
Bad Boys: American Library Association Releases Frequently Challenged Book List
News by Peter Derk April 16, 2014
The ALA has released its annual list of Frequently Challenged books. And the winners are...
New Mexico School Temporarily Bans Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere"
News by Nathan Scalia October 16, 2013
Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere" is being considered for a ban by a New Mexico high school after a student's mother complained. Because what else is new?
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" Banned By North Carolina Schools
News by Christopher Shultz September 20, 2013
Citing "a lack of literary" merit, the novel— widely considered a classic piece of literature— will soon disappear from school library shelves in Randolph County, N.C.
Anti-War Manga Restored to School Libraries After Ban
News by Dean Fetzer August 28, 2013
Hadashi No Gen, or Barefoot Gen, a classic series based on author Keiji Nakazawa's experiences of the bombing of Hiroshima, was removed from school libraries after being deemed too violent.
Diary of Anne Frank Too ‘Pornographic’ for 7th-Graders
News by Dean Fetzer April 30, 2013
A Michigan parent has filed a formal complaint with the school district on the grounds that passages of the diary of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust are ‘inappropriate’.
Turkey Lifts Ban on Thousands of Books
News by Christopher Shultz
Communism, Comics, and Sex, Oh My! These subjects and many others are now a-okay in Turkey's law books.
“The Most Dangerous Game” Goes Too Far For Colorado Mom
News by Dean Fetzer November 6, 2012
The mother of a Brighton, Colorado, 8th-grader was shocked to discover a homework assignment requiring him to answer questions about the short story, in light of a recent child abduction and murder.
Should Some Books Be Banned?
Column by Cath Murphy October 19, 2012
Book bans are the work of oppressive dictatorships and should be resisted, right? Maybe it isn't that simple.
My Own Prison: Author To Spend Week In Jail Made Of Books
News by Dave Reuss August 16, 2012
In a move rich with symbolism, an author will spend Banned Books Week in a prison of his own making.
Vatican's Condemnation Of Nun's Sex Book Turns It Into Bestseller
News by Kimberly Turner June 7, 2012
Six years after it was published, Sister Margaret Farley's book on sexual ethics has become a bestseller with the unintentional help of a Vatican reprimand.
Behold, The Most Frequently Challenged Library Books In 2011
News by Rob Hart April 9, 2012
The American Library Association has released its annual list of most frequently challenged library books, which includes such transgressive literature as 'The Hunger Games' and 'Brave New World.'
The Age of No Controversy
Column by John Jarzemsky February 22, 2012
No riots in the streets, no bonfire rallys, no blood in the gutter...are we living in an age of controversy-free literature?
Is Arizona Trolling the Rest of the Country?
News by John Jarzemsky February 14, 2012
New bill proposed in Arizona would make it illegal for teachers to swear in the privacy of their own homes.
Tucson Unified School District Says Banned Books Aren't Really Banned
News by John Jarzemsky January 19, 2012
Spokespersons for the Tucson Unified School District say the banning of several textbooks has been "widely and incorrectly reported."
