According to the American Library Association, "Banned Books Week (September 26-October 2, 2021) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular."
To learn more, please visit the American Library Association's Banned & Challenged Books Week page.
Want to celebrate by reading a chellenged book for yourself? The Bedford Public Library owns 9 of the 10 most challenged books of 2020. Browse the carousel below and click on an icon to reserve a copy in our online catalog. We can order a copy of the 10th from other GMILCS libraries (Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin) upon request - just email reference@bedfordnh.org.