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Cerro Coso Library Blog

We Love Banned Books!

by Cerro Coso Library on 2022-10-03T08:00:00-07:00 in Library | 0 Comments

Last year, the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom recorded 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials, and noted that 2022 has seen a huge spike in censorship that will likely beat this number. The majority of book challenges tend to come from parents or library patrons who feel as though certain books contain inappropriate content and should be removed from the library shelves. The most frequently cited reasons for challenging library materials? These titles may include obscenity, sexually explicit scenes, LGBTQIA+ themes, critical race theory, and other content considered "unsuitable," particularly for children. 

One of the Five Laws of Library Science states "Every person his or her book." In light of censorship, librarians have taken this to mean that patrons have the right to determine which books are suitable for themselves and those they are responsible for, but that the freedom to access this information should not be impeded for everyone else. Banned Books Week (September 18-24 in 2022) was created by the ALA in 1982 to celebrate the freedom to read, and by showcasing the titles deemed most dangerous, libraries hope to show how much we stand to lose when we eliminate anything controversial.

For the full list of most frequently banned and challenged books or to find out more about Banned Books Weed, visit the Banned Books Week event page and the American Library Association's page on Banned Books Week.

If you'd like to check out the books that have frequently been banned from libraries across the country and decide for yourself, here are a few of our favorites:

Banned Books Week Display

Cerro Coso's Banned Books Week Display

While Banned Books Week may be over, Cerro Coso celebrates the freedom to read all year long! 


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