"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.
It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."

- Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, “The One Un-American Act.” Nieman Reports, Volume 7, no. 1 (Jan. 1953),
p. 20.

"It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. In our system, students may not be regarded as closed-circuit recipients of only that which the State chooses to communicate."

~ Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas, in Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District, District 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”

~ Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. in Texas v. Johnson

The First Amendment to the Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a reasonable redress of grievances."

CONTENTS:
Banned Books ~ Links ~ Events ~ Take Action

The ACLU Foundation of Kansas & Western Missouri is
participating in Banned Book Week 2007 to raise awareness
about the problems of censorship and to highlight the constitutional right to choose what to read, see, and hear.

In the early 1980s, the American Library Association began an
annual commemoration of banned books to call attention to the problem of censorship in the publishing industry and in libraries and bookstores. More than 25 years later, all across the country, libraries, schools, and bookstores arrange displays of books banned in history, host banned book readings, or call attention in other ways to the issues of censorship.

We have collected, on this page, information and resources from national organizations and local groups, libraries, and bookstores.

MOST CHALLENGED BOOKS 2000-05	Image: ACLU of Washington State, artist Chuck Close
1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling 2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier 3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 6. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers 7. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris *8. Scary Stories* series** by Alvin Schwartz 9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey 10. Forever by Judy Blume
All but three of these books also were in the top 10 of the most challenged books of the 1990s. The American Library Association (ALA) reports there were more than 3,000 attempts to remove books from schools and public libraries between 2000 and 2005. According to the ALA, a “challenge” is an attempt, using a formal written complaint, to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A “ban” is the actual removal or restriction of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point-of-view about materials they dislike or deem inappropriate; rather, they are attempts to restrict the access of others to those materials. Banned Books Week highlights the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens who resist the pressure to withdraw or restrict access to books and other materials in our public libraries, schools, and other sources of information and creativity.
10 MOST CHALLENGED BOOKS 2006 Including the reasons listed in complaints
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell: for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group Gossip Girls series by Cecily Von Ziegesar: homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: sexual content and offensive language The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler: sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz: occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher: homosexuality and offensive language The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group Beloved by Toni Morrison: offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: sexual content, offensive language, and violence

NATIONAL RESOURCES Links to Web sites
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression The Institute for Historical Review – Other Days, Other Ways: American Book Censorship 1918-1945 by James Martin National Coalition Against Censorship Amnesty International: Banned Books Web site Banned Books Online – List of banned books in history, updated through 2005 Banned Books & Censorship – List of banned books and and resources on censorship, updated through 2004 Banned Books: A Pathfinder – Llist of resources on banned books created by a Master of Library Science student at the University of Albany in 2003 Banned Book & Censorship Resource – Annotated directory of resources on censorship and free expression, updated through 2006 American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression American Library Association – Banned Books Week Web site Beacon for Freedom of Expression – Searchable current international database of censored publications and articles on censorship, created by Oslo University College in Norway J-Ideas – Promotes First Amendment and civic awareness in public and private high schools, created by Ball State University Feminists for Free Expression American Arts Alliance – Advocates for the freedom to perform art Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Descrimination The File Room Censorship Archive – National Coalition Against Censorship site with current searchable archives on censorship cases, includes bibliography and other resources PEN American Center – Association of writers defending free expression Media Coalition – Defends First Amendment right to produce and sell books and other media
LOCAL RESOURCES Links to Web sites
Johnson County Public Library Kansas City, Mo., Public Library Kansas City, Kan., Public Library Mid-Continent Public Library Lawrence Public Library Manhattan Public Library Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library Wichita Public Library Springfield-Greene County Library

LOCAL EVENTS
Observing Banned Books Week 2007

September 25, 6:30 p.m. at Kansas City Public Library Central, 14 W. 10th Street
Shirley and Wayne Wiegand will discuss their new book, Books on Trial: Red Scare in the Heartland. 6:00 p.m., reception. Free admission. Reservations are recommended. Call 816-701-3407.
October 5–6
ACLU Foundation of Kansas and Western Missouri and the Wichita ACLU chapter will host a table at the Kansas Book Festival on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, KS. ACLU staff-members and volunteers will share materials on censorship and civil liberties. More than 100 authors and thousands of people will attend the two-day event. Go to www.kansasbookfestival.ks.gov for more information.
October 3, 7:00 p.m. at Kansas City Public Library – Central,
14 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, Mo.
The ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri, Rainy Day Books, and The Kansas City Public Library are co-sponsoring a Banned Books Week event featuring Christopher Finan, author of From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America. The author will speak about his book and about the ongoing fight for freedom of speech in America. He will also take questions from the audience. Books will be available at the event. Reservations are requested. Please call the library at 816-701-3407 for reservations. In the 5th floor Helzberg Auditorium. Reception at 6:30 p.m.; presentation begins at 7 p.m. For more information go to the Kansas City Public Library Web site or Rainy Day Books Web site.
October 4, 7:00 p.m. at Johnson County Public Library – Central, 9875 W 87th Street
A mural will be unveiled which has been created by young adult artists to observe Banned Books Week. The mural reflects their ideas about intellectual freedom. Refreshments will be served in the library’s Teen Room. For more information, go to the Johnson County Public Library Web site.

TAKE ACTION

Free Speech:
Freedom of speech is protected in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and is guaranteed to all Americans. Since 1920, the ACLU has worked to preserve our freedom of speech. The ACLU opposes all forms of censorship, arguing that the right to choose what we read, see and hear is one of our foundational freedoms. Commemorating Banned Books Week by raising awareness of the problem of censorship and highlighting the freedom of speech is an affirmation of our core values.

What You Can Do to Fight Censorship and Keep Books Available in Bookstores and Libraries

1. Stay informed. Be aware of what is happening in the schools and libraries in your area. If you read or hear about a challenge at your school or public library, support your librarian and free and open access to library materials. Know the policy for reviewing challenged materials at your school or public library. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom estimates they learn of only 20 to 25 percent of book challenges. In 2006, they recorded 546 formal book challenges, an increase of 35% in one year.

2. Get involved. Go to school board meetings. Volunteer to help your local school or public library create an event that discusses the freedom to read and helps educate about censorship. Organize banned book readings or events highlighting free speech.

3. Read. Make a point to read books that have been banned or challenged. Ask a librarian for a list of banned books. Give banned books as gifts.

4. Speak out. Write letters to the editors of newspapers supporting the freedom to choose what to read, hear, and see. Talk to your neighbors and friends about why everyone should be allowed to choose for themselves and their families.

-Adapted from ALA Banned Books Week website