But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race posterity as well as the existing generation those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. As John Stuart Mill wrote in On Liberty: "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.īooks usually are challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information.Ĭensorship can be subtle, almost imperceptible, as well as blatant and overt, but, nonetheless, harmful. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. A banning is the removal of those materials. What is the difference between a challenge or banning?Ī challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. Censorship, on the other hand, creates barriers. Books reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship Divides Us." Sharing stories important to us means sharing a part of ourselves. 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. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. From the American Library Association (ALA)'s Banned & Challenged Books Website:īanned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.
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