Book Banning

• Society: Issues: Human Rights and Liberties: Free Speech  (89)

ALA: Banned Books Week   - Information and resources on this year's Banned Books Week, from the American Library Association. Includes an overview of the topic of banned and burned books, press kits, a list of the most frequently challenged books, and links.

ALA's Top 100 Banned or Challenged Books of 1990-2000 - A list of the most frequently challenged books of the 1990s, based on the challenges reported to ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression - News and updates on matters of free speech, book banning and related issues for booksellers.

Ban These Books Too; It's Only Fair - A satirical plea to ban Shakespeare and the Bible on the same basis that other books have been banned.

Banned Books - Loyola University Chicago Libraries' information page about book banning in the U.S. and abroad, with a section on electronic documents.

Banned Books: A Pathfinder - A librarians' finding guide for information on banned books and censorship.

Banned Books On-Line - Special exhibit of books that have been the objects of censorship or censorship attempts.

Banned Books Quiz - Test your knowledge of banned books with this quiz.

Banning Books from the Classroom: How To Handle Cries for Censorship - This informative article from education World is mainly aimed at teachers, but it is useful for anyone concerned with book banning and censorship in schools. Challenges to school materials are a common occurrence. How should such challenges be handled? How can they be avoided?

Censored - Directory of Web and print censorship resources with detailed descriptions of each link.

Censored: Wielding the Red Pen - This exhibition from the University of Virginia Libraries includes numerous cover images of censored books, plus thoughtful and informative commentary.

Censorship and Book Burning - Modest collection of sayings and viewpoints of book burning.

The Censorship Pages -- Information on Censorship of the Written Word - Articles and links on baned books and censorship. Many links are dead

Family Friendly Libraries - National organization dedicated to addressing issues of age appropriate materials in public and school libraries. Includes current news and information.

The File Room - Archive of case files pertaining to the censorship and suppression of works and ideas from Socrates to Judy Blume.

The Forbidden Library: Banned and Challenged Books - Books and literature targeted for censorship or banned throughout history, from Confucius to Harry Potter. Includes censorship quotes, descriptions of specific cases, answers to email questions.

Free Expression Network - Current news, features and trend analysis in free expression issues in U.S.

Free Expression Policy Project - A think tank on artistic and intellectual freedom that provides empirical research and policy development on tough censorship issues.

Freedom to Read.ca - Freedom to Read Week encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom.

He who destroyes a good Booke, kills reason it selfe - Retrospective of the famous exhibition and catalogue of banned books from the University of Kansas in 1955.

kidSPEAK - Formerly Muggles for Harry Potter, kidSPEAK believes that it is wrong to ban books in classrooms and school libraries because some parents object to their content. Restricting the use of books that kids want to read violates their First Amendment rights and helps produce an illiterate society.

Look Out, Harry Potter: Book Banning Heats Up - This article from Education World explores the issue of book banning with a special focus on the Rowling's Harry Potter books, and includes a set of resources for establishing procedures in school systems to handle challenges to popular books.

Most Frequently Challenged Books in the US in the early 1990s - A list of the 50 most frequently challenged titles in schools and public libraries between 1990 and 1992, based on Herbert Foerstel's book, Banned in the U.S.A.

Parents Against Bad Books In Schools - Information and resources for challenging controversial books in K-12 schools.

Shameful Book Banning in Rockford, Illinois - Describes a case where a school board voted to ban a book about youth gang culture, to the dismay of many in the community.

United Students Against Book Banning - A collective of Canadian students fighting censorship.

What Johnny Can't Read: Censorship in American Libraries - Essay by Suzanne Fisher Staples on censorship in American school libraries.